Portland Raccoons (ABL)

[Westheim]

There were still two things bugging me. First, left-handed relief. We want to have two pitchers in the bullpen that are left-handers, because with one of them, you’re always saving him, and then don’t use him at all, or then you need him four days in a row. Or you have Juan Diaz and you’re screwed either way because he will uncork three wild pitches in one at-bat.

Also, backup infield. I found a former Raccoon who was always a very serviceable hand in the infield to be a free agent in early February and extended out to him. It was hard finding qualified left-handed relief, though. We were looking for somebody NOT walking batters endlessly. And it was early February, the good pieces were all picked already. While there were quite a few guys still available, only a few legit stars remained, and none of those were pitchers (unless you include a 39-year old Bastyao Caixinha, who looked like 52 a lot…). In the end, world champion Josh Thomas, ex-Bayhawk Bob Hall, and a few others were left unsigned – many teams struggling with money really really badly, it seems.


February 9 – Tijuana baseball gets greatly enriched by the addition of ex-BOS SP Jesus Bautista (99-82, 3.35 ERA). The 29-year old receives a 2-yr, $1.4M contract.
February 12 – The mundane wheelings and dealings of the baseball world are fundamentally shaken that the wife of the Loggers’ Marc Padgett has been killed in a tragic accident. Padgett, who was already in pre-season camp, has left the team to be with his family.
February 17 – The Condors are not done adding to their team, signing ex-DEN SP Ramón Ortíz (184-125, 3.37 ERA) to a 3-yr, $2.47M deal. Ortíz is a 3-time world champion with the Capitals.
February 21 – The Raccoons add left-handed relief in 28-yr old ex-TIJ MR Domingo Moreno (12-6, 2.86 ERA, 12 SV), who will earn $800k over two years, as well as a veteran bat in 33-yr old INF Marvin Ingall (.280, 44 HR, 353 RBI), who returns to his team from 1993-2000 on a 1-yr, $215k contract.


There is scarcely any money left over. I managed to keep scouting and development largely level with the last year, but we are below league average there. The total league average is something like $4.1M combined, and we’re at $3.68M. We have enough money left over to make one waiver pick on a minimum contract player, and that would have to happen before the draft.

Overall I am not happy with the roster. I am happy with the way we managed to figure out semi-sane trades to address the key issues. The team should be better than last year (although right now there are 23 other ABL teams that think the same). Or it might go bust again.

For our fuzzy butts, we could not find a left-handed backup infielder who was not just a first baseman. When Ingall was still collecting dust after a league-average season with the Knights (he was traded there to acquire Palacios last winter), I moved. We know what we get there, although age has taken his toll with him already.

Moreno is the primary southpaw in the pen now, over Kevin Jones, another addition. Like catchers, we change our left-handed relievers more often than our socks. This has been going on since Ken Burnett’s demise, which is going on ten years, and we have no trouble to home-grow right-handers, but left-handers have always been an issue.

But it fits. We’re the Issuecoons after all, right?

Next: Opening Day roster.

[Questdog]

I have never seem you so rosy!

You lose 90 games for the third straight season in a row and your biggest concern is to find a left-handed batting backup infielder!

I call that Progress!.......

I believe someone must have taken my advice for shock therapy to heart!....

[Westheim]

2002 PORTLAND RACCOONS – Opening Day Roster (first set shows 2001 numbers, second set overall; players with an * are off season acquisitions):

SP Carl Bean, 28, B:R, T:R (10-13, 4.41 ERA | 55-58, 4.04 ERA) – won 20 games and struck out 212 for the Gold Sox in 2000, but didn’t even come close to that in his first year in Portland. Nominally, he has blistering stuff to strike out batters in scores.
SP Ralph Ford, 24, B:L, T:L (11-14, 4.07 ERA | 20-33, 4.37 ERA) – more innings, less walks, more strikeouts than in his tumultuous rookie season of 2000, so he made progress. At times, he will go completely nuts, missing the zone left, right, high, low, however. Still has special stuff, and we believe that he can improve on the 167 strikeouts from 2001 and challenge that 200 mark.
SP Randy Farley, 28, B:R, T:R (8-11, 4.74 ERA | 47-41, 3.50 ERA) – suffered through an outright horrible season, even suffering demotion early in the year. Everybody is stunned how it could swing around so viciously for a pitcher who was rock solid for his first three major league seasons.
SP Nick Brown, 24, B:L, T:L (2-3, 4.54 ERA | 2-3, 4.54 ERA) – rookie, has come from the 11th round of the amateur draft to display amazing stuff, which included casually setting a new franchise strikeout mark with 13 K in a start during his cup of tea. Still has some control problems occasionally.
SP Felipe Garcia, 24, B:R, T:R (2-0, 3.60 ERA | 2-0, 3.60 ERA) – a poor man’s fifth starter, Garcia owes his spot on the roster to the fact that the Raccoons are hideously broke and can’t pay anybody else. His stuff is run of the mill, his control is so-so, and we fear the worst for him.

MR Ricardo Huerta *, 28, B:R, T:R (3-5, 4.67 ERA, 1 SV | 5-6, 4.94 ERA, 1 SV) – rule 5 pick with some experience over parts of four seasons. Vince thinks he can actually hold his ground if giving work regularly.
MR Marcos Bruno, 26, B:R, T:R (5-5, 4.46 ERA, 2 SV | 5-5, 4.46 ERA, 2 SV) – first-rounder who made his debut last year and went the full season, Bruno’s struggles at times have been attributed to a considerable amount to the high workload, especially in the first half of the season. His stuff is special though, with a fastball approaching 100mph and singing bats in the process.
MR Domingo Moreno *, 28, B:R, T:L (5-2, 2.85 ERA | 12-6, 2.86 ERA, 12 SV) – signed as free agent from the Condors, Moreno throws hard like most of our relievers, but his a flyball pitcher, contrary to the rest of the pen. He knows how to get by, though, pitching to a rock solid 1.23 WHIP in seven major league seasons.
MR Kevin Jones *, 27, B:L, T:L (2-2, 4.06 ERA, 4 SV | 9-9, 3.70 ERA, 7 SV) – acquired in trade from the Indians, Jones is the secondary left-hander in the mostly revamped Raccoons bullpen; he can’t possibly be worse than his predecessors.
SU Manuel Martinez, 23, B:R, T:R (3-2, 4.93 ERA, 2 SV | 3-2, 4.93 ERA, 2 SV) – another sophomore who had more mixed success in 2001, Martinez sports a rocketing fastball and is able to pitch to poor contact at the same time, much like most right-handers we have.
SU Daniel Miller, 33, B:S, T:R (1-4, 4.24 ERA, 15 SV | 36-34, 3.35 ERA, 55 SV) – again didn’t give us what we desired in the closer’s role. His control has gotten worse in recent years, but most of the time he will be able to adequately navigate through an inning. Longest-tenured pitcher on the roster, debuting with the team in 1991.
CL Dan Nordahl, 23, B:R, T:R (6-4, 4.61 ERA, 20 SV | 10-10, 4.76 ERA, 21 SV) – Nordahl acquired the closer’s job from Miller mid-season, but neither fared all too well. While Nordahl is able to strike out batters at a nice rate, he is still honing his control – under live fire. Budgetary constraints force us to go with him.

C Mark Thomas, 25, B:R, T:R (.253, 5 HR, 35 RBI | .258, 5 HR, 38 RBI) – survived all those other pitchers we had, including the burst bubble of dreams named Julio Mata, to win the primary catcher’s job on the Raccoons, however enviable this might be with wild throws going anywhere. We are hoping for semi-competent batting, too.
C Gary Fifield, 29, B:R, T:R (.167, 1 HR, 4 RBI | .219, 5 HR, 26 RBI) – keeps coming up from AAA, but even for a second division team, Fifield is a poor choice for a backup catcher, generally possessing few amazing talents. He can hold is ground behind the dish, but is mostly helpless at the plate.

1B Albert Martin, 25, B:L, T:L (.261, 26 HR, 89 RBI | .267, 43 HR, 142 RBI) – missed the CL home run title by three park-leavers last season; generally performed like feast and famine, with one particularly bad drought in August, where he didn’t hit anything but the hay at night. Defense is questionable and he will regularly be subbed for in late, close games.
2B Jesus Palacios, 27, B:L, T:R (.290, 24 HR, 88 RBI | .287, 56 HR, 295 RBI) – had a blistering hot May, hitting for 14 home runs over three weeks, while not hitting a whole lot of them outside that timeframe. Works well together defensively with Concie, and has the second base starting spot locked down hard.
SS Conceicao Guerin, 28, B:R, T:R (.283, 2 HR, 37 RBI | .282, 10 HR, 236 RBI) – stellar defense, good OBP, and a knack for stealing bases. Only injury kept him from making a challenge for the CL SB title in 2001, going down with two weeks left and unable to add to his 33 bags.
1B/3B Daniel Sharp, 24, B:R, T:R (.301, 8 HR, 57 RBI | .285, 12 HR, 80 RBI) – Danny was mostly a reason to relax in his first full season – when he wasn’t accidentally making one of his 20 errors on the hot corner. Also made a few base-running mistakes, costing a number of runs and – defensively – also wins. But he’s batting .300 and scored 88 runs, and if everybody on the team did that…
1B/2B/3B/SS Adrian Matthews *, 29, B:R, T:R (.248, 6 HR, 35 RBI | .269, 35 HR, 320 RBI) – one of three pieces received from the Indians in the Ramiro Cavazos trade, Matthews is a versatile defensive player that could hold his ground in the starting lineup if we were to suffer an injury.
1B /2B/3B/SS Marvin Ingall *, 33, B:R, T:R (.273, 6 HR, 49 RBI | .280, 44 HR, 353 RBI) – returns as free agent from the Knights after one season abroad; will take over a backup job, but both him and Matthews are very similar players and they both should see regular starts at least against left-handed pitching, however the time when Marvin ran up 600+ AB in a season might be over.

LF/CF Chris Roberson, 25, B:R, T:R (.312, 6 HR, 27 RBI | .312, 6 HR, 27 RBI) – made a spectacular debut in the second half of the 2001 season, playing himself into the starter’s role in left right away. Roberson brings a well-rounded package with a good contact AND power bat, great defense, and a pair of fast legs capable of stealing bases in numbers worth reporting.
CF/LF Neil Reece, 35, B:R, T:R (.311, 11 HR, 71 RBI | .308, 153 HR, 766 RBI) – longest-tenured Raccoon, having debuted in 1989, Reece is showing signs of age, with his range and agility decreasing; interestingly however, his batting picked up – sort of. While his power is a bit down from his peak years, he batted for the best slash line in a qualifying season since 1993. He continues to be our centerfielder of choice and is under contract through 2004.
LF/RF Clyde Brady, 25, B:L, T:L (.304, 10 HR, 48 RBI | .266, 43 HR, 203 RBI) – was ready to have a phenomenal year before he tore ankle ligaments and ended up missing 91 games. WHEN he played, he was mostly amazing and we are keying on him to be our rightfielder of the future – all we need is a contract with him.
LF/RF/CF Chris Parker, 26, B:L, T:R (.237, 6 HR, 24 RBI | .251, 14 HR, 141 RBI) – started to pinch-hit a blistering 0-29 last season; apart from that, he was not all bad, but failed to even get a single recommendation for the vacant leftfield job, which Chris Roberson took by storm last fall.
LF/RF/CF Gilberto Flores, 29, B:R, T:R (.237, 1 HR, 20 RBI | .253, 26 HR, 183 RBI) – was a rule 5 pick, did his job more or less as expected and wins a backup job over Jason Kent as we didn’t want to carry two left-handed outfield bats on the bench, nothing more or less.

On disabled list: one minor leaguer, AAA OF Cal Lyon.

Otherwise unavailable: Nobody.

Other roster movement:
RF/LF/CF Jason Kent, 28, B:L, T:L (.277, 3 HR, 14 RBI | .243, 4 HR, 26 RBI) – DFA, failing to deliver much of anything in parts of five seasons for the Raccoons.

Opening day lineups:
Vs. RHP: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – RF Brady – 1B Martin – LF Roberson – 3B Sharp – C Thomas – P Bean
Vs. LHP: SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – RF Brady – LF Roberson – 1B Martin (Ingall) – 2B Matthews (Ingall) – C Thomas – P Bean
If we open against a left-hander, Palacios will still play over Matthews.

OFF SEASON CHANGES:

We gained eight wins last season after going +12 WAR in the winter, and you could blame injuries and other unexpected misfortunes. This year is the first instance in quite some time that the Raccoons lost WAR in the offseason. We dropped 3.0 WAR, with Cipriano Miranda electing free agency (and being left over), the Cavazos trade, and the Miguel Lopez trade, all responsible for losses of just over 2 WAR each. However, we unloaded WAR drains Julio Mata and Max Heart onto the Scorpions in separate trades, regaining 3.1 WAR total, and signed Moreno and Ingall late for another 2.3 WAR gain. Overall, our -3.0 WAR ranks t-10th in the ABL this winter.

Top 5: Condors (+13.4), Titans (+5.1), Cyclones (+4.5), Blue Sox (+2.3), Falcons (+1.6)
Bottom 5: Wolves (-6.1), Gold Sox (-6.2), Crusaders (-8.3), Stars (-10.2), Scorpions (-22.9)

PREDICTION TIME:

First, nothing’s rosy.

Last year, I said that with this miniscule budget we just could not keep up with the better teams, and it showed, finishing 31.5 games behind the Titans. It was our fifth consecutive losing season, and overall we have only won 70.4 games on average in these five years. It has been a drain.

And things won’t get better anytime soon, thanks to the Mexican Prick and his prickly ways. The Mexican Prick expects this team to finish at .500. I have my doubts.

While we have a mostly credible offense in place, give or take no production from the catcher’s spot, our pitching staff continues to have holes, with our #5 starter being fully expected to get set ablaze regularly. We have no closer, we have not had a good left-handed reliever in ages, and our bench is not very strong either. A team with these shortcomings can only reach 81 wins if nobody gets hurt, and nobody pulls a Farley and runs up an ERA over six in April. With the injury history of some of our players (Reece…), and our recent record of truly unexpected regress in several players, this is not something to be banked on. For all we know, even Clyde Brady could bat .227 with two homers through May – and then? It is wholly and entirely impossible to make a late signing. Thanks to the Mexican Prick we are broke.

Last year I said that the Raccoons could not be expected to finish better than 72-90, and they didn’t, coming home 71-91, tying for the second-best result in the last five years. Our lineup is largely the same as last year, and there are lots of question marks surrounding the pitching staff again, including a bullpen that was the worst in baseball in 2001. Although arguably most of the suckers have been replaced, it is possible that nothing gets better. By my estimate, we’d need about $2.5M to $3M to address all our shortfalls and add a starter, a closer, and a catcher.

Verdict: the team continues to have holes in several areas, and with our injury history and always the same rotten luck, a 81-81 finish is out of the question. At best I can imagine a slight improvement to 75-87.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT:

Something went wrong with the Coons’ farm in recent years. Normally, if you suck and pick high, your farm gets better. Last year we plunged from 8th to 17th among all ABL teams, having only seven players in the top 200. Of those, a whopping four are no longer eligible as Marcos Bruno, Chris Roberson, Sergio Vega, and Miguel Ramirez have exceeded rookie limitations, and a fifth (Cesar Lopez) has dropped off the radar.

With not much new stuff coming up, we are still in the bottom half in the ABL, ranking 16th (so one spot better than before).

25th (+75) – AAA OF/1B Edgardo Torrez, 25 – international discovery by Vicente Guerra
31st (new) – AA SP Jack Berry, 21 – 1999 eighth round pick by the Scorpions, acquired in trade for Max Heart
71st (new) – AAA LF/RF/1B Chris Beairsto, 23 – 2001 first round pick by the Raccoons
75th (-51) – AA CL Matt Cash, 19 – 2000 second round pick by the Raccoons
130th (new) – A 1B Mun-wah Tsung, 19 – international discovery by the Cyclones, acquired in trade for Miguel Lopez, Juan Garcia
132nd (new) – ML SP Felipe Garcia, 24 – 1995 third round pick by the Gold Sox, acquired in trade from Capitals for Harry Jackson
200th (new) – AAA 1B Alejandro Rojas, 22 – international discovery be the Vicente Guerra

The Rebels’ 20-year old SP Jesus Cabrera is the #1 prospect in the league. Named #7 is the Miners’ SP Barney Manning. Manning spent his first professional season with the A-level Miami Shores Cyber Rays, going 7-8 with a 2.87 ERA, and struck out 120 in 125 innings.

Next: first pitch!

[Westheim]

Raccoons (0-0) vs. Titans (0-0) – April 2-4, 2002

New year, new luck? Facing the reigning world champions right away might not be the best opportunity to get out of the gate. The Titans had shed some talent, mostly pitching, but had acquired new players this winter and were certainly not going to drop to 105 losses all of a sudden. That’s something only Coons can do.

Projected matchups:
Carl Bean (0-0) vs. Jason O’Halloran (0-0)
Ralph Ford (0-0) vs. Steven Snyder (0-0)
Randy Farley (0-0) vs. Jorge Chapa (0-0)

Two left-handers to get the year underway in this opening series, with Snyder being the odd one out.

Game 1
BOS: SS D. Silva – 2B Matsumoto – LF Jin – RF G. Munoz – C L. Lopez – 3B Austin – CF Garrison – 1B H. Ramirez – P O’Halloran
POR: SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – RF Brady – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 2B Palacios – C Thomas – P Bean

Through nine outs in the season opener, there were six K’s and no hits in the box score, but a Roberson single in the bottom 2nd got the offense rising. Martin singled, and Palacios walked, and all of a sudden the bags were full. O’Halloran walked in a run against Mark Thomas, and the Raccoons would plate three in total in the frame. The Titans didn’t get a hit until the fourth, didn’t score, and although the fifth started with an error by Concie and the Titans put two in scoring position in the inning, they still didn’t score. Carl Bean retired Silva to start the sixth – and then pulled something and left the game. Here we go – to the bullpen. Miller completed the sixth without accidents, before we waved in our first new guy to showcase himself, Kevin Jones, in the seventh. He walked the first man he faced, Gonzalo Munoz. Luis Lopez hitting into a double play fixed that. Then Jones walked Mark Austin. And Rudy Garrison. For SOME reason or other, the game did not instantly explode in the Raccoons’ fuzzy faces and the Titans failed to score when Hector Ramirez hacked himself out against Jones. It was the only episode of shoddy pitching for the Coons on this day, however. Manuel Martinez struck out the side in the eighth, and Marcos Bruno didn’t whiff anybody in the ninth, but also didn’t allow anybody on base. 4-0 Coons! Roberson 3-4; Palacios 1-2, 2B, RBI; Bean 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, W (1-0);

That hit that Bean allowed, and that walk, and the three walks off Jones, were all the Titans got. We were one double away from a combined no-hitter in our opener, and who had that offending double? Why, of course, the ex-Raccoon, Chih-tui Jin!

Bean had tweaked his hammy, but it was not TOO bad and he might not even miss his next start on Sunday.

And for what it was worth, we held a share of first place in the CL North.

Game 2
BOS: SS D. Silva – CF Garrison – 1B Matsumoto – RF G. Munoz – LF Jin – 3B V. Flores – 2B D. Mendez – C Bader – P Snyder
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – RF Brady – 1B Martin – LF Roberson – 3B Sharp – C Thomas – P Ford

Neil Reece went 0-5 to start the season, but his first hit counted big, plating the first three runs of the game in the bottom 3rd of the middle contest. Steven Snyder was quicker out of this game than one could say bibbe-di-bubbe-di-boo, with the Coons mashing RBI doubles off the bats of Ford(!) and Palacios in the bottom 4th, and then Reece singled home those two for a 7-0 score. The Titans’ response was to pitch Orlando Blanco – they knew they had lost. Blanco promptly surrendered another two runs the next inning, and the Raccoons were able to add power with solo home runs by Palacios in the seventh and Martin in the eighth, running the score into double digits. The Titans had nothing going at all. Ford was pulled after eight, though, as he was way past his bed time approaching 120 pitches. Ricardo Huerta was brought out with the lead pretty much unblowable. Munoz drew a walk, but that was it for the Titans. 11-0 Raccoons!! Palacios 4-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Reece 3-5, HR, 5 RBI; Martin 3-4, BB, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Sharp 2-3, BB, 2 2B; Ford 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K, W (1-0) and 2-4, 2B, RBI;

Okay, who are you lot, and where is my team?

Game 3
BOS: SS D. Silva – 2B Matsumoto – LF Jin – RF G. Munoz – C L. Lopez – 3B Austin – CF Garrison – 1B H. Ramirez – P Chapa
POR: SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – RF Brady – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 2B Palacios – C Fifield – P Farley

The Titans, scoreless in their first two games this season, came pretty close in the third inning of the third game they played. Hector Ramirez reached on a 1-out infield single, the first hit in the game, before Farley through away Chapa’s bunt and all of a sudden there were two in scoring position with one out. Farley struck out Daniel Silva to quell the threat, while Matsumoto gently lifted a ball to Reece for the third out. Their drought ended the next inning however, and it did so in force. Farley gave up two singles and a walk to load the bases, and then faced Ramirez with two down. Ramirez rammed a double off the wall in center, and all three runners circled around to score. Farley surrendered another run over six innings, and the Titans got another one of those runs off Daniel Miller in the seventh. The Raccoons took the Titans’ spot from the last two days and were entirely silenced by Chapa over seven innings, and things really did not improve for them against the bullpen this time. Orlando Blanco didn’t pitch. 5-0 Titans.

Ah, *there*’s my team! Good to see you’re alive and weren’t collected by the body snatchers…

Yay.

Raccoons (2-1) vs. Aces (1-3) – April 5-7, 2002

The Aces had been pelted by the Condors to start the season, with neither their hitting nor their pitching particularly shining brightly.

Projected matchups:
Nick Brown (0-0) vs. Rafael De Jesus (0-0)
Felipe Garcia (0-0) vs. Dan Moriarty (0-1, 23.63 ERA)
Carl Bean (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Alfredo Rios (0-1, 4.70 ERA)

De Jesus was a 22-year old righty with 30 innings on his major league clock, all in 22 relief appearances over the last two seasons, amassing a not so strong 7.20 ERA. This was his first career start in the Bigs.

Game 1
LVA: CF Talamante – C De La Parra – 2B O. Torres – LF L. Jenkins – 1B J. Vargas – RF Ghiberti – SS Cerdeira – SS Hitchcock – P R. De Jesus
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – RF Brady – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – LF Parker – C Thomas – P Brown

For the first time all season, Guerin led off an inning and actually got on base, here in the bottom 1st. He instantly swiped his first base of the year (and he’s gotta catch up to Daniel Silva’s grand total of one). Reece would double him home, and we and Nicky were up 1-0. Nicky looked good through two frames, but in the third some dam broke. Between the first six Aces up to bat in the inning, five hit singles, and the sixth reached base on an error – by Nicky. The Aces plated four runs, all unearned, and Brown sat in a terrible, terrible hole. Bottom 4th, the Raccoons started to accumulate on base. They got back to 4-2, and Parker and Thomas were on second and first with one out and Brown batting. De Jesus threw a wild pitch, moving up the runners, and then Brown hit a liner to center that Talamante managed to misplay and another run scored. Concie’s single tied the game, and De Jesus was handed the short side of the line score in the next inning when Martin doubled off the wall in right, and scored on Sharp’s sharp single to center. Brown meanwhile – apart from the massive, MASSIVE hiccups he had in the third inning, mastered the Aces more or less alright. When he struck out Javier Vargas at the start of the sixth inning, that was already his TENTH of the game. Cerdeira was added to the list before the inning ended. The Raccoons loaded the bases with one out in the bottom 6th, but Reece grounded into a double play, keeping the score at Raccoons 5, Aces 4. Brown looked unbeatable – and all of a sudden wasn’t. Two out in the seventh, he walked PH Dick Bell and Talamante in succession. Manuel Martinez came in to face the right-handed catcher De La Parra, but couldn’t cut it, and De La Parra sent a double over Neil Reece’s head and off the wall. Reece got a good carom however. While Bell was going to score, Talamante was rocketed down by Reece at the plate, at least conserving a tie. That tie was short-lived, with Albert Martin mashing a home run in the bottom of the inning off Don Davis, before the Raccoons left a pair in scoring position. Top 8th, up by one, Jones was tasked with Oliver Torres, the only lefty in the Aces lineup – and walked him on four straight. Bruno replaced him and for the second straight time, our reliever gave up a game-tying RBI double right away. Nordahl pitched a clean ninth, which was a nice change for once, in his first appearance of the year, and the Aces sent their alleged closer, Charlie Deacon, for the bottom 9th in the 6-6 tie and I thought we had a chance, but he was not tagged and we went to extras. Deacon was still at it in the bottom 10th, retired two, before Roberson hit a pinch-hit double, Guerin walked, and Palacios was hit by a pitch. Neil Reece, three on, two out, the count slowly but surely ran full and Reece casually looked at the sixth pitch, which was way low. Walkoff walk! 7-6 (10) Raccoons! Guerin 3-5, BB, RBI; Reece 2-5, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Martin 3-5, HR, 2B, RBI; Thomas 2-3, BB, 2B; Roberson (PH) 1-1, 2B; Brown 6.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K; Nordahl 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, W (1-0);

Well, that was a nail biter! Brown gave up five runs, but somehow … well… the Aces reached base against him in only two innings, and both times it escalated pretty badly, but if those hits are spaced out, nobody scored for them possibly. So, we chalk this one up to bad luck, and besides, he casually set another top 15 single game strikeout performance for the franchise. He now has two of those. And he has yet to start a double digit number of major league games.

Game 2
LVA: SS Hitchcock – 1B J. Vargas – 2B O. Torres – RF L. Jenkins – LF McCormick – CF Ghiberti – C L. Paredes – 3B Combes – P Moriarty
POR: SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – LF Roberson – 2B Palacios – RF Brady – 1B Ingall – C Thomas – P F. Garcia

Garcia pitched remarkably well in his first outing of the season, allowing no runs and getting a 3-0 lead handed to him in the bottom 3rd, in which Moriarty issued three walks and Roberson hit a 2-run double in between. Well, Garcia allowed on runs through five. In the sixth inning, the Aces blew him up, with a leadoff jack by Oliver Torres, and a 2-run shot by Ricco Ghiberti. It all went down the drain very, very quickly. Garcia got no decision, surrendering one batter in the seventh before putting a man on and yielding to Kevin Jones. Two out, Jones was 3-0 on Lou Jenkins, when Jenkins poked and made the third out, leaving the go-ahead run on base. In the bottom 8th of this tied game, Ian Johnson came in relief to face Clyde Brady, but issued a 2-out walk. Ingall was next, and Johnson continued to throw balls. At 3-1, Ingall guessed that one could come pretty fat in the zone, and didn’t guess wrong. He was still a solid hitter: the shot vanished in the left field stands for a 2-run homer! Despite throwing 30 pitches the day before, Dan Nordahl came out for the ninth. He faced three right-handers, and got three grounders to Palacios – ballgame! 5-3 Raccoons! Guerin 1-2, 2 BB; Brady 2-3, BB, 2B; Ingall 2-4, HR, 2 RBI;

In Vancouver, the Elks got clobbered 14-1 by the Thunder, and with this the Raccoons moved into sole position of first place! Davin Vinson hit two home runs in that game.

Game 3
LVA: CF Talamante – 1B J. Vargas – 2B O. Torres – RF L. Jenkins – LF McCormick – C De La Parra – SS Hitchcock – 3B Combes – P A. Rios
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – RF Brady – CF Roberson – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – LF Parker – C Fifield – P Bean

The first run of the game was driven in by none other than Carl Bean. He did it in style, as Rios still was facing the minimum and had two strikes on Bean in the bottom 3rd. That’s when Bean hit it out, as simple as that. 1-0 Coons. However, no more offense seemed to be forthcoming. The team had only one other hit through five innings, and in the sixth Talamante hit an infield single to lead off the frame, and Torres tripled him in to tie the score at one. The Aces left the go-ahead run on third base the next inning, and the Raccoons couldn’t get anything going, merely reaching second base in the seventh, their furthest advance since Bean touched them all. Bean accordingly did not get a decision, leaving when the left-handed core came up in the eighth. The Aces left two on base in each of the next two innings, giving the Coons another chance to walk off in the bottom 9th, facing Deacon again. After a leadoff single by Palacios, we used a .143 batting Clyde Brady to bunt him into scoring position for Roberson and Martin. Actually, just Roberson. His liner under Hitchcock’s extended glove went into center and Palacios ran like a mad man and scored. 2-1 Furballs!! Palacios 2-4; Bean 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K and 1-2, HR, RBI;

The Coons! Squee!

In other news

April 1 – No joke: Tijuana’s Jose Maldonado (1-0, 0.00 ERA) opens the year in style with an Opening Day 4-hit shutout, while the offense crushes the Aces, 10-0.
April 2 – TIJ RF/LF Raúl Vázquez (.625, 3 HR, 6 RBI) shows who’s boss: the all time home run leader casually ups his total to 367 dingers by blasting three of them in an 8-4 Condors win over the poor Aces. It is only the 12th time an ABL batter blasts three shots in one game, and the first time in five years (SFB Pedro Perez, 1997). It is also the first time a Condor has done it, but the Aces are three-bombed for the second time in frachise history. Luis Arroyo, when with the Canadiens in ’94, did the favors to them before, and that game was also an 8-4 loss for them.
April 4 – SFB OF Tom Walls (.333, 0 HR, 0 RBI) hit in his last 16 games in last season, and he continued his streak to start the new year, knocking four hits in four days to extend the streak to 20 games.
April 5 – The first significant injury of the year strikes, with the Loggers’ OF/1B Jerry Fletcher (.300, 0 HR, 0 RBI) suffering an oblique strain and looking at two months on the DL.
April 6 – DEN 3B/SS Zak Davidson (.278, 0 HR, 0 RBI) signs a 5-yr, $11M contract extension with the team.

Complaints and stuff

Squee!!

Well, we will have to see how much of our admittedly electric pitching (if you subtract a certain left-handed reliever who has faced nine batters and walked 44% of them), and we have not gotten much production outside from our infielders and Neil Reece, but first place is first place is first place. And well, the one loss we ran into a strong pitcher. Jorge Chapa annihilated us on Thursday. That happens. No need to not be all Squee today!

First place! No matter how long it lasts, it is refreshing not to start a season 3-10 once in a while!

I went back and counted again, and if I’m not mistaken, our pitching corps started the season with only 206 wins between all of them. I can’t recall whether we ever had an Opening Day roster that green… Then again, we didn’t have an Opening Day roster without a Kisho Saito or Scott Wade and their experience for about 15 years…

On another note, Vern Kinnear, Certifield World Series Hero, is with the Titans again. They didn't use him in our series, not even to swing a few bats in the dugout to get them warmed up...

Who are those guys that ever struck out more than 10 batters for the team and how soon is Nick Brown going to roll over them?

4: Kisho Saito (12 once, 11 thrice)
2: Nick Brown (13 once, 11 once)
2: Manuel Movonda (11 twice)
2: Jason Turner (11 twice)
1: Ralph Ford (12 once)
1: Steven Berry (12 once)
1: Antonio Donis (11 once)
1: Logan Evans (11 once)

Tell me. Do you think Kisho is sitting over there in Japan and watching us?

[Questdog]

Awesome week!

26 more like that and we got a chance at somethin'!

[pjh5165]

Love that you brought back Marvin Ingall, I always liked that guy.

[Westheim]

Raccoons (5-1) vs. Falcons (2-4) – April 8-10, 2002

During the first week, the Falcons had batted .320, the best mark in the league, but had suffered from atrocious pitching, mostly out of the bullpen.

Projected matchups:
Ralph Ford (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Manuel Hernandez (1-0, 3.38 ERA)
Randy Farley (0-1, 6.00 ERA) vs. Alfredo Collazo (0-0)
Nick Brown (0-0, 1.35 ERA) vs. Jesus Hernandez (0-0, 2.70 ERA)

Game 1
CHA: 3B H. Green – LF King – RF Lugo – 1B L. Soto – CF Hudson – C M. Castillo – SS Vieitas – 2B A. Ramirez – P M. Hernandez
POR: SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 2B Ingall – RF Flores – C Thomas – P Ford

Two southpaw pitchers, only one left-handed batter (Martin) to start this game. Despite all those matchups favoring the hitters, there was very little offense going on. Hubert Green hit a solo home run in the third inning, and that was the only scoring, although the Raccoons did have their share of chances, leaving runners on second base twice before the sixth inning rolled along, Concie led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a terrible throw by Miguel Castillo – and was left there while one, two, three outs were made. Ford was still behind 1-0 in the top 7th, walked the leadoff batter Herberto Vieitas, then tried to nab him at second when Manuel Hernandez laid down a bunt – but threw high and all hands were safe. Marcos Bruno managed to clean up and the Falcons didn’t score, but the Raccoons were absolutely unable to score against Hernandez, who scattered four hits through eight innings. The ninth saw Cory Maupin trying to protect the most miniscule lead the Falcons had, with Roberson up first. He whiffed, but Martin singled and Parker ran for him, while Brady hit for Ingall. Unfortunately, his liner to the right side was snagged by Ramirez, while Parker was moving fast in the wrong direction – and it was the end. 1-0 Falcons. Roberson 2-4; Ford 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, L (1-1);

Yeah, that’s my team…

Game 2
CHA: RF Lugo – C F. Chavez – CF Morton – 2B H. Green – LF R. Wilson – SS Vieitas – 1B A. Ramirez – 3B N. Chavez – P Collazo
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – RF Brady – LF Roberson – 3B Matthews – C Thomas – P Farley

Game 2 was more of the first one in that there was no offense going on at all – and there was the least offense going on for the Raccoons, who faced a mildly wild Alfredo Collazo, who issued five walks, but the Critters couldn’t buy a hit for their measly lives. The game remained scoreless through seven, with a few double plays further killing offense. In the top 8th, Farley put a man on before a pinch-hit triple by Jose Lugo broke up the tie. Miguel Castillo hit for the pitcher, singled home Lugo, and while Farley was removed now, the bullpen took the bait and burst into flames. Kevin Jones entered, didn’t retire anybody, and Daniel Miller finally dug out the Coons down 3-0 and with the bags full. The score was still the same into the bottom 9th. Maupin retired Palacios, retired Reece, the Raccoons had only TWO hits so far, and then Martin homered. Oh well, delaying the inevitable. Then Brady singled. Roberson singled. Suddenly the tying run was up, with Sharp hitting for Matthews, but grounded out. 3-1 Falcons.

Hngg-ggrrrr. Don’t you hate it when they rally in the ninth, only to not actually rally? Also, six double plays in the game, four turned by the brown-clad team, to no avail.

Well, the pitching is not bad, but the offense is pretty dry. It tastes like sand. Watching them pretty much feel like rubbing sand into an open wound. The Titans beat the Knights twice to take over the division lead, so we are now not playoff-bound anymore, and at the rate the offense is going at (15 runs in six games), we are more cellar-bound. Currently we’re BEST in runs allowed, but tied for 10th in runs scored.

Game 3
CHA: CF Hudson – SS Vieitas – RF Lugo – 3B H. Green – 1B L. Soto – C M. Castillo – LF Morton – 2B A. Ramirez – P J. Hernandez
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – RF Brady – LF Roberson – 3B Ingall – C Fifield – P Brown

Another game with the Falcons, another team was completely blitzed by the opposing pitcher’s stuff, but this time the Falcons were the ones looking dazed at what was going past them. Nick Brown was blistering them mercilessly, and also got *some*, not much, but *some* run support with a run in the first after a Guerin double and Martin single, and another run involving Concie in the third, when he stole second and was cashed in by Neil Reece with a double. That 2-0 score stood for a long time, with Brown only giving up two hits and no walks through seven innings. Fifield led off the bottom 7th, made an out, before Brown singled. Concie grounded to short, but Vieitas botched the play and both were safe. Palacios loaded them up with a single, and then Reece hit a full-count pitch to left that fell in but was not deep enough to plate even Concie from second. Martin and Brady both sent deep flies to left, but both made outs. The score went to 4-0 on Martin’s sac fly. And then Brown came out for the eighth and was whacked hard – three line drive base hits plating a run and putting two runners in scoring position with one out. Miller came in, struck out PH Matt King – then threw a wild one. Bottom 8th, 4-2 game, Nobuyoshi Matsui loaded them up with no outs. Parker struck out for Miller and Concie hit a sac fly. Palacios walked, reloading the bags, and Reece singled, and we sent Sharp from second, but he was thrown out. So, it was a 6-2 game now, and we went to Nordahl, who was fresh and we had an off day coming up. A K, a walk, a single, a lucky double play, thank heavens. 6-2 Raccoons. Guerin 3-4, 2 2B, RBI; Reece 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI; Brown 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, W (1-0) and 1-3;

Raccoons (6-3) @ Crusaders (4-5) – April 12-14, 2002

The Crusaders had been truly anemic offensively in 2001, and if three series were any indication, then 2002 wouldn’t be any better for them. They had plated 24 runs in those nine games, rock bottom in the league, but at least their pitching had been quite solid, allowing 38 runs, 4th in the CL. The Coons were 10th in offense and 1st in defense.

Projected matchups:
Carl Bean (1-0, 0.71 ERA) vs. Anibal Sandoval (1-1, 1.13 ERA)
Ralph Ford (1-1, 0.63 ERA) vs. Greg Connor (0-1, 1.20 ERA)
Randy Farley (0-2, 4.73 ERA) vs. Mike Nelson (1-1, 2.19 ERA)

This will be the first series of the year where we face only right-handers, and I kind of don’t like the ERA’s they’re spotting. But … it’s early.

Game 1
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – RF Brady – C Thomas – LF Parker – P Bean
NYC: LF M. Ortíz – CF Britton – RF A. Johnson – C Olson – SS Rice – 3B S. Walker – 1B M. Berry – 2B J. Martinez – P Sandoval

More pitching, and even less offense! The Raccoons didn’t get on base until Sharp drew a walk in the fifth, while Bean allowed only one hit and one walk, both in the first inning, in the game, and then he kept the runners on base. The second hit of the game was off Mark Berry’s bat in the bottom 5th, and it was plenty deep, putting the Crusaders up 1-0 after all. Sandoval carried the no-hitter into the seventh before Neil Reece ripped a 1-out double to get that one over with. We left him and Sharp on the corners, though, and Sandoval vanished into the depths of the park with the head trainer and did not return. Mike Olson’s homer made it 2-0 in the bottom of the inning. Nick Hartman and Domingo Moreno pitched scoreless eighths, and we faced Dane Sanders in the ninth. Guerin and Palacios hit singles to get the tying runs on with no outs. But Reece popped out and things went downhill pretty quickly with Martin and Sharp both grounding out. 2-0 Crusaders. Bean 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, L (1-1);

(sigh)

Game 2
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – RF Brady – LF Roberson – C Fifield – P Ford
NYC: LF M. Ortíz – SS S. Walker – CF Gonzales – C Olson – 1B Breach – RF R. Chavez – 2B Rice – 3B J. Martinez – P Connor

With the bags full in the bottom 1st, and two down, and 2-2 to Ricardo Chavez, Ford threw a wild one. The Crusaders were up 1-0, Chavez whiffed, but how were the Raccoons supposed to make up a 1-run deficit? Well, power was an option of course! We didn’t do much besides squealing in fear of the balls whistling past at the plate, before somebody manned up and turned into one of those pitches. Jesus Palacios’ second home run of the season flipped the score in the third, and the next inning Martin and Roberson both homered and ramped the score to 5-1! The Crusaders got a run off Ford in the bottom 4th, but in the top 5th Martin came up with Guerin on base and hit another home run! 7-2, four bombs in three frames! Ford walked a pair in the bottom of the inning, but eventually got out when Olson popped out, stranding runners on the corners. Next half-inning, Brady was up first, facing Alex Glaviz – and wouldn’t you know, another rocket, the Coons’ FIFTH home run in the game! Glaviz shook his head, then got ready to pitch to Roberson, threw a ball, then a strike up in the zone and Roberson tagged that one – HOME RUN!! Ford went six innings, walking four, which was hopefully not a sign of things to come. He left with a 9-2 lead however, so the Raccoons were off pretty well. Ricardo Huerta tossed two scoreless innings, but collapsed in the third, being whacked for two extra-base hits right away. The Crusaders for a moment seemed to mount a comeback, having a 9-3 deficit to erase but having two men on with one out after a failed rescue attempt by Daniel Miller, but when Moreno came in after that, they did not get another man on, and this game went into the books as a W. 9-3 Raccoons! Martin 3-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI; Brady 2-4, HR, RBI; Roberson 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI;

Now let’s try and win a game without half a dozen dingers. Although I won’t claim I didn’t enjoy those middle innings. Al Martin claimed a share of the CL home run lead with Vancouver’s Ivan Gutierrez, both standing at five. Nobody knows quite how Dallas’ Mac Woods can be at seven already over in the Federal League. Miraculosly, it doesn’t help the Stars, who are half a game out of last place in the FL West.

Chris Roberson has logged hits in a dozen straight games, while our pair of backstops have amassed three hits total and both are below .100 right now. How’s Pablo Fernandez doing in AAA? Badly. Bats .150.

Game 3
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – LF Roberson – RF Brady – 3B Ingall – C Thomas – P Farley
NYC: LF M. Ortíz – CF Britton – RF A. Johnson – 1B Breach – C Olson – 3B S. Walker – SS J. Martinez – 2B Rigg – P Nelson

The Crusaders’ lineup was led in batting average by Mike Olson’s .244 mark. They *were* a tremendously weak bunch. Yet they faced Randy Farley, who walked the first two batters, threw a run-scoring wild pitch, and was to three balls on two more batters before a mercy pop to second ended the inning with only one run in. The Crusaders left five runners in scoring position in the first three innings, not building on their 1-0 lead. The Raccoons meanwhile were really clueless against Nelson and were not really in a position to threaten at all. They had the bags full then with two out in the fifth, but Reece struck out. Martin led off the sixth with a double, and Roberson hit an infield single to put runners on the corners. Things looked good, but a Brady sac fly was all the Critters got. At least it tied the score. Farley became stuck in the bottom 7th, but Jones kept the Crusaders from scoring and the game remained deadlocked at one. Reece drew a leadoff walk in the eighth, and again we couldn’t find anybody to follow up. In the top 9th we had a leadoff double again, this time by Ingall. Sharp hit for Thomas, struck out, and when Parker came out, he was walked intentionally, and neither Guerin nor Palacios could come up with anything. As regulation spilled over into extra innings, we got two scoreless frames from Marcos Bruno, but still no punch of our own. Brady worked a leadoff walk in the 11th, and Fifield bunted him to second. Sharp, who had remained in the game, struck out again, and Flores rolled out to third, and we did not score – again. Miller put a pair on in the bottom 11th, but nobody scored, and this game was dragging out WAY too long. The 12th, the Coons did nothing, the Crusaders left two on against Miller and Moreno! Then, the 13th, Nick Hartman pitching. Martin singled, Roberson singled, no outs, and then a wild pitch, putting the runners in scoring position. COME ON NOW!! Well, Brady was walked intentionally now, loading them up for Fifield, who could not be hit for since Thomas was already out of the game. And Fifield – predictably – struck out. Sharp had already two K’s on him despite not entering until regulation was almost over, and the count ran full, but Hartman kept missing – and walked him, shoving home the go-ahead run, and that was the cue for Nordahl to loosen up. As things were, Matthews hit for Moreno, emptying the bench, got Roberson forced out at home, but Concie came through to the left side, singling home two runs! Enter Mike Collins for ex-Coon alarm, and despite two outs in the inning, Collins managed to surrender another two runs on two walks and a Martin single. It was not a save situation, but Nordahl was the only player we still had left that was not a starter or Ricardo Huerta, who had pitched two-plus the previous day. Nordahl allowed one runner, but that was it. 6-1 (13) Raccoons! Martin 3-7, 2B, RBI; Brady 2-3, 2 BB, RBI; Farley 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K; Bruno 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

In other news

April 9 – Rather late, the Miners announce they have signed two grizzled veterans in 39-yr old SP Bastyao Caixinha (247-209, 3.49 ERA), whose services come at $465k for a year, as well as 36-yr old INF Rodrigo Morales (.303, 110 HR, 981 RBI), who signs on for the same duration and $410k, AND they also sign 2001 champion LF/RF Josh Thomas (.277, 79 HR, 441 RBI) at $730k for one year!
April 9 – The Blue Sox land left-over ex-Bayhawk INF Bob Hall (.281, 68 HR, 456 RBI) for 1-yr, $690k.
April 9 – VAN RF/LF Tony Velasquez (.357, 1 HR, 3 RBI) faces a month on the DL with a groin strain.
April 9 – CIN SP Jeremy Peterson (1-0, 5.06 ERA) is out for the season with a torn UCL.
April 10 – SFB Tom Walls (.382, 0 HR, 1 RBI) brings his hitting streak to 25 games with three base knocks in a 7-5 loss of the Bayhawks to the Indians.
April 11 – TIJ RF/LF Raúl Vázquez (.355, 4 HR, 7 RBI), who smacked three homers in one game last week, is now out for a week with an intercostal strain.

Complaints and stuff

The organization suffered a blow this week when Jesus Taramillo was beaned in the side of the head, and suffered a terrible concussion. His career might be over. Taramillo, 27, was one of Vince’s discoveries, but never quite cut it in the majors, amassing only 86 AB over three cups of coffee, and batting .174 with 1 HR and 7 RBI. He was a nice kid, worked hard to get his swing and glove going, but it never worked out for him.

Hah. Mellow.

Our bullpen has pitched 31.2 innings this season, allowing 18 hits and 16 walks against 24 strikeouts and only three runs allowed (all earned). That is an outrageous swing around from last season, but some has to do with the rotation. Last year the rotation sucked from the start – literally – and it never got any better. Relievers were in the game in the fifth inning and sometimes on most days in a week. Right now, we can mostly go into the seventh with our starter, and then we can mix and match, and apart from Jones and to some extent Miller – both have walked five batters – all the relievers have been more or less lights out. However, it starts with the starter (duh!), and this is as a whole not a 0.85 ERA bullpen, just like last year’s bullpen in general was not one approaching a 5 ERA.

In neat notes, Albert Martin leads the CL in OPS, and when Nick Brown and Tony Hamlyn both had two starts, Brown’s 19 K trailed Hamlyn’s mark by only one. Hamlyn has made his third start already and is now at 31. Yikes.

Financials. Right now, we have enough money (presumably) to try to sign one guy to an extension. Of course Matthews, Ingall, and Gil Flores are bound for free agency after this year, but we’re not looking at bench players right now. Palacios, Brady, and Bean are all slated to be arbitration eligible for the final time, and we will have a chance to get a contract done with one of them. I’d like to keep Brady around, although he’s off to an atrocious start this year. Then again, we have no prospects for the second base job. Huh.

[Questdog]

I hope the turn around of the pitching staff is not an illusion. I have been missing a furry pennant chase for a while now.....

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Questdog

I hope the turn around of the pitching staff is not an illusion. I have been missing a furry pennant chase for a while now.....

You must not believe your eyes, for they don't see the truth. [a bell tolls]

---

Raccoons (8-4) @ Indians (6-7) – April 16-18, 2002

The Indians have been sub-average in both offense and pitching early in the season, but despite a -20 run differential they were only one game under .500; would their luck run out or rather continue?

Projected matchups:
Nick Brown (1-0, 1.93 ERA) vs. Alonso Alonso (1-1, 4.24 ERA)
Felipe Garcia (0-0, 4.26 ERA) vs. Manuel Alba (1-1, 6.75 ERA)
Carl Bean (1-1, 1.37 ERA) vs. Anthony Mosher (1-1, 3.24 ERA)

Senor Alonso, may we call you Alonso?

Game 1
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – LF Roberson – RF Brady – 3B Sharp – C Thomas – P Brown
IND: 2B A. Stevens – SS M. Jones – LF Alston – 3B D. Lopez – RF Greenman – CF J. Valdez – 1B Montray – C T. Turner – P Alonso

Again, the Raccoons did not reach base the first time through the lineup. Nick Brown was not even half as flashy as in his first two starts – he had no control at all. He walked a pair in the first two innings, before plunking Alonso to start the bottom 3rd, which quickly escalated into a major shame frame. Art Stevens’ error was bungled by Brown, who issued a walk and a single to Ron Alston in the inning, and also threw a run-scoring wild pitch to bring a total of three runs home for the Indians, who had just Alston’s hit in the H column. Down 3-0 and so far really not showing any signs of life, Neil Reece hit a 2-out single in the fourth to at least banish any no-no scare there might have been going around. In the fifth the Raccoons loaded the bags with one out, but Brown easily made the second out. Concie drew a walk to push home one run, but that was it, however the same situation developed again in the next inning, now with Sharp up. Since Thomas wasn’t batting anything, Sharp better resolved the chance favorably. Resolving it he did, but not favorably – Thomas never came to bat after a 6-4-3 bonanza. The bonanza was not over yet. While Brown went six, and struck out eight Indians eventually, the bullpen exploded in the bottom 7th. After Jones surrendered the left-hander Montray, Huerta put two men on, and then Moreno exploded completely, with three left-handers all reaching base against him. The oh so nice Raccoons bullpen ended up sending four men into a 5-run massacre, and the Indians stowed that game away firmly, never mind two runs in the ninth and loading them up to provoke an appearance from closer Iemitsu Rin. 8-3 Indians. Reece 2-5; Sharp 2-4, 2B; Parker (PH) 1-1; Brown 6.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, L (1-1);

That was a nasty one, and the second time this season that a team basically only got on base in two innings and they still sunk the Raccoons with a sledgehammer. Also, the number of runs on our bullpen for the season went up by a crisp 166% this black Tuesday.

Game 2
POR: SS Guerin – CF Roberson – RF Brady – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – 2B Ingall – LF Parker – C Thomas – P F. Garcia
IND: 2B Montray – SS M. Jones – LF Alston – C Paraz – 3B D. Lopez – 1B J. Garcia – CF Cavazos – RF J. Lugo – P Alba

A Phil Montray error helped the Raccoons to an unearned run in the top 1st, before they had Ingall hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases full. Garcia didn’t hold up for long, getting whiplashed by the Indians with back-to-back doubles to get the bottom of the second inning started, Lopez and Jesus Garcia being responsible. Still tied at one, the Indians had two in scoring position when Jose Lugo popped up for the second out. A good pitcher would have retired Manuel Alba, but against Garcia, Alba singled and the Indians went up 3-1. Four innings was all that Garcia was able to cover, when Ramiro Cavazos drilled a 2-run shot to end his day. Jose Paraz showed Ricardo Huerta around the place in the next inning, hitting a 3-run home run – the only hit the Indians had in THIS inning. The game was already well blown out, with the Raccoons still stuck at one, and that one had been unearned entirely. The team did absolutely nothing, but held still while getting stomped, for the second day in a row. 8-2 Indians. Brady 2-4, 2B, RBI;

So now we’re begging for Carl Bean to stop the bleeding, but it would also help tremendously if somebody could step up and bat some… We will face a left-hander and I will sit the wildly hacking Al Martin. Hitting home runs is nice, Al, but you gotta HIT in general, too.

Game 3
POR: SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – CF Reece – LF Roberson – RF Brady – 2B Ingall – 1B Matthews – C Fifield – P Bean
IND: 2B Montray – SS M. Jones – LF Alston – C Paraz – 3B D. Lopez – 1B J. Garcia – CF Cavazos – RF J. Lugo – P Mosher

Bean did NOT stop the bleeding with David Lopez hitting a 2-run shot right in the first inning, and another run scored on Daniel Sharp’s first error of the season – and many more were undoubtedly to come. Up 3-0 again, the Indians were looking forward to an easy sweep, but there was some life still left in the visiting team’s lineup. Brady started with a double in the top 4th and Ingall tripled, being scored by Fifield before the inning fizzled out with the tying run left in scoring position. Neither pitcher went past the sixth: Bean was handed the lead by Roberson and a 2-run homer in the fifth, but Jose Paraz jacked the game-tying shot in the next inning and the game was 4-4. The Coons didn’t anything that could have given Bean the win in the top 7th, and the bottom 7th started with Moreno coming out to face the left-handers at the top of the lineup, but Juan Valdez, a right-hander pinch-hit and singled. With Christian Greenman hitting for Mike Jones, Daniel Miller was called upon, but Greenman homered to left. Ron Alston homered to center, and then Jose Paraz homered to left center. Three home runs in succession of Miller, quicker than quick, and Miller tried to throw the next pitch right through David Lopez, who was drilled, not amused, and hurled the bat at Miller. Like five seconds later, 40-some players were piled up on the infield, trying to kill each other.

Once the National Guard restored order, it was 8-4, Miller was ejected along with Lopez, and there was still no out in the inning. Miller’s run scored against Martinez, as the bullpen was ravaged once again. The game was not quite over, however. Questionable pitching was also something the Indians excelled in, and the Raccoons loaded them up against Vicente Galván with one out in the eighth. Jared Chaney replaced him to face Reece, but neither him nor Roberson managed to plate a run. And THEN the game was over. 9-5 Indians. Brady 3-3, 2 BB, 2B; Fifield 2-5, RBI;

Daniel Miller is my hero. At least he didn’t wait until someone came out to give him one last carrot and then shot him behind the shed. No, he exited in STYLE.

Apart from that we are now in the hopeless wretched land of misery I expected us to end up in from the start of the year, so it kind of feels cozy.

Raccoons (8-7) vs. Knights (7-8) – April 19-21, 2002

The Knights had taken off 6th in runs scored and 8th in runs allowed, a marked improvement from the dreadful team they had been the last few years. Was it that the roster was now purged of former Raccoons? Well, it wasn’t actually, they had two guys at the back of their pen that hadn’t left Portland on all too stellar terms in Tzu-jao Ban and Manuel Reyes. And their personnel can’t be that shabby: they have won four straight.

Projected matchups:
Ralph Ford (2-1, 1.33 ERA) vs. Tynan Howard (1-1, 2.84 ERA)
Randy Farley (0-2, 3.60 ERA) vs. Larry Cutts (1-2, 6.27 ERA)
Nick Brown (1-1, 1.80 ERA) vs. Eric Wallace (1-1, 2.38 ERA)

We have a short bullpen now with Daniel Miller suspended for five games. With the way things have been going, that could pose more issues. The Raccoons do not have an off day on Monday, so we can’t just pluck Garcia without having everybody starting on short rest next week against Oklahoma City.

Game 1
ATL: CF A. Solís – C A. Alvarez – LF Ware – 1B G. Douglas – 2B J. Miller – RF G. Rios – SS Verdon – 3B A. Hernandez – P Howard
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – RF Brady – LF Roberson – 3B Sharp – C Thomas – P Ford

Not a lot of offense was to be seen in the first three innings, but once Ralph Ford developed his renowned ill control, the Knights got going, drew two walks around a single in the fourth and managed a Gerardo Rios sac fly before Nick Verdon struck out to end the frame. The Raccoons had to wait to the bottom of the inning to even get a hit, but Martin was left on after his 2-out double to right. Sharp and Roberson made strong plays to end the fifth and sixth, respectively, both times on hissing liners and with men on base. Roberson also in between tied the score with a solo home run in the bottom 5th. In the bottom 6th, Neil Reece was thrown out at third after he tried to stretch a 2-out double, but the same happened to Tynan Howard in the top 7th. The game was still tied when Danny Sharp hit a leadoff double in the bottom 8th. This got Dan Nordahl stirring in the pen, as well as Chris Parker to hit for an oh-fer Thomas. Parker walked, but that was as far as the Raccoons went. Ingall hit for Bruno, whiffed, Guerin lined out, and Palacios popped it up. Nordahl still came out to pitch the top 9th and went 1-2-3 on the Knights. Manuel Reyes appeared in the bottom 9th, and Reece whacked a leadoff single. You don’t bunt with Martin! Martin probably would bunt it straight into his nose… So he batted, lined out to short, and no Raccoon touched second base in the inning. Nordahl went another inning to no avail. Moreno did the 11th without accidents. And remember how Martin was not ordered to bunt? He can do other things much better than bunting. In the bottom of the inning, Palacios hit a 1-out double off Bartolo Gomez. Reece couldn’t advance him, his liner snagged by Ware in left, but Martin hit a shy bloop to shallow center and Palacios never stopped running as he turned third base. 2-1 Raccoons. Reece 2-5, 2B; Martin 2-5, 2B, RBI; Flores (PH) 1-1; Ford 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K; Nordahl 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

Game 2
ATL: 2B J. Miller – RF A. Rodriguez – LF Ware – CF G. Rios – 1B G. Douglas – SS Lujan – 3B Verdon – C Fabián – P Cutts
POR: 3B Sharp – RF Brady – CF Reece – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 2B Palacios – SS Matthews – C Fifield – P Farley

A good outing from Randy was imperative to get. After eight pitches, the Knights had four singles, two runs, and nobody out. Palacios dug out Farley before things could get REALLY ugly, turning a nifty double play. The Raccoons came back to tie the score on one hit, a 2-run homer by Neil Reece, in the bottom of the same inning, but Antonio Lujan’s solo jack put the Knights back on top, 3-2, in the fourth. It would have been nice to have anybody contribute other than Neil, who after a leadoff single in the bottom 6th held 75% of the Coons’ hits on the day. Martin would follow up with a single, but Palacios made an out, which brought up a 1-13 Matthews with the runners in scoring position. At 2-2, Cutts threw a wild one to tie the score, then struck Matthews out on the next pitch. This hard scrambled tie for the Raccoons was neither earned, nor long-lived, for the Knights crushed the pitching staff in the seventh, whacking five extra-base hits, including another home run by soft poker Lujan off Kevin Jones, amongst other stuff to plate six runs. You couldn’t get a more definitive “NO. WE win.” from them. Two runs scored in the bottom 9th, and as expected, a Manuel Reyes wild pitch was figuring in that one. 9-5 Knights. Reece 3-5, HR, 2 RBI; Parker (PH) 1-1, RBI;

Game 3
ATL: C A. Alvarez – RF A. Rodriguez – LF Ware – 1B G. Douglas – 2B J. Miller – SS Lujan – CF S. Torres – 3B A. Hernandez – P E. Wallace
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – RF Brady – LF Roberson – 3B Sharp – C Thomas – P Brown

We REALLY needed a good outing from Nick Brown, but we didn’t get it by a mile. The Knights were wholly unable to hit him, but they didn’t need to. Once Daniel Sharp made an error that put Wallace on base to lead off the third inning, Brown walked three batters to give the Knights the lead. The Raccoons had four hits through three inning and never reached third base. After four innings, Brown had already walked seven batters, and although the Knights still didn’t add on runs, we would have to scramble to get this game patched together somehow. It would be another loss anyway. The Raccoons were however donated a run in the bottom 4th by the home plate umpire. With two out, Thomas walked and Brown singled, bringing up Guerin. He singled up the middle, where Sancho Torres got to the ball rather quickly and brought it back in. Thomas had been sent regardless, and was tagged out at home – yet called safe. The Knights were up in arms to no avail, the game was tied. Palacios was hit (intentionally?), but Reece couldn’t get it done. Brown, who owned the franchise record for K’s in a start, now challenged for the franchise record for walks as well. He already had seven, and tied the record with his eighth, a leadoff free pass to Stephen Ware in the next inning. Glenn Douglas rolled into a 6-4-3 two-job, and Miller flew out to Brady to end Brown’s last inning of the day. Amazingly, Al Martin put Brown on the good side of the line score with a leadoff jack in the bottom 5th, and another run came home after an error by Anastasio Hernandez. Well, up 3-1, four innings to cover. We went with Huerta first, the only guy not involved in this series yet, but we might have to tap into Felipe Garcia after all. Huerta didn’t even manage to pitch one inning before blowing the lead, and the Knights took a 4-3 lead off Moreno in the eighth as we tried to patch things together unsuccessfully. Palacios hit a fly off Tzu-jao Ban in the bottom 8th that glanced off Ware’s glove and was scored a double, but Ban struck out Reece for the second out. Martin came up and hit another bloop just beyond the infield that was enough to score the fast Palacios. Brady singled and Ban was still in against Roberson, who ripped a ball to deep left that curved towards the foul line, but then dinked in fair by just two inches for a 2-run double! Nordahl was called on for the ninth despite two left-handers leading off, him having thrown 26 pitches on Friday, and Jones still on the bench. His first pitch was taken to deep left center by Alejandro Rodriguez, but Roberson blinked there in time to make the catch, and the next two batters were retired on soft grounders. 6-4 Coons. Palacios 3-4, 2 2B; Martin 3-5, HR, 2 RBI;

In other news

April 16 – The Pacifics lose C/1B Curt Cooks (.405, 0 HR, 2 RBI) for the season. The 27-year old has suffered a ruptured medial collateral ligament.
April 17 – The hitting streak for San Francisco’s Tom Walls (.415, 0 HR, 5 RBI) reaches 30 games, as he has another three hits in a 7-5 loss of the Bayhawks to the Falcons. Only nine players have ever had a longer hitting streak in ABL history, and none since Roberto Quintero hit in 36 consecutive games in 1998. The all-time record is 47 games, set by Claudio Rojas in 1983, who was then also a Bayhawk.
April 18 – Luck is on Tom Walls’ side, as he goes 0-4 in regulation against the Falcons, but hits an RBI double – the game-winner, no less – in the 12th for a 6-4 Bayhawks win. His streak reaches 31 games.
April 21 – A torn meniscus might cost CHA RF/LF/1B Jose Lugo one half of the season. Lugo was batting .328 with no homers and 8 RBI.
April 21 – The Bayhawks drop the Sunday game to the Canadiens, 7-5, but Tom Walls keeps going after not playing on Saturday and reaches 33 games with two base knocks. Only five players had longer hitting streaks in ABL history: Claudio Rojas (47 games in 1983 AND 40 games in 1980!), Roland Moore (39 in ’93), Roberto Quintero (36 in ’98), and Clement Clark (35 in ’92).

Complaints and stuff

In the FL, the Player of the Week batted 12-21 with 1 HR and 5 RBI. Why are we going into this? He can't possibly have hurt the Raccoons. Well. It's Max Heart.

(facepalm)

The Issuecoons are back. The hideously ugly and annoying Raccoons, that not even their mother could love. Yes, I cried. So it WAS all a dream. We knew it all along.

The Raccoons allowed 27 runs in the first two weeks of the season. The Indians *almost* matched that, falling two short. Amazingly, that left the Critters still tied for second in runs allowed. Well, and then another helpless team came to town, and the rest is already history. Sub .500 next week, and there’s no doubt, neither hope.

We’re still third in runs allowed, but without checking I’d readily put money on us having allowed the most runs (39 after all) this week.

Time to break out the cookies. I generally try to stay off the booze until May… being not always successful……

One note on Nordahl, who has two measly saves: that’s all the opportunities there were. Of the eight wins we have he didn’t save, four were with leads bigger than three runs, and four were walkoffs. He’s unscored upon in nine innings, allowing five hits and three walks against six strikeouts. So, you could do better, especially as a closer, but you can certainly do a lot worse.

And despite this HORRIBLE outing by Brown, his WHIP is merely a flat one now. He has allowed only 12 hits in addition to 13 walks in 25 innings and struck out 31. In the latter category he’s ranking second behind SFB Tony Hamlyn in the ABL. Hamlyn has 34.

In his most recent outing however, Brown tied a mark that had not been touched since 1981, when both Logan Evans and Román Ocásio were offenders, and before that in 1980, when Juan Berrios was booked. And yes, the Berrios game was THAT Cyclones game. THAT game.

[Westheim]

Raccoons (10-8) vs. Thunder (14-5) – April 22-24, 2002

The Thunder were ranking 1st in offense AND pitching after three weeks’ worth of games, so the poor home team’s fans were in for a terrible treat. I looked hard, and found no flaws. For what it’s worth, they have scored more than TWICE as many runs as they have allowed (120-53).

Projected matchups:
Felipe Garcia (0-1, 6.97 ERA) vs. Aaron Anderson (2-1, 2.84 ERA)
Carl Bean (1-1, 2.10 ERA) vs. Pancho Trevino (1-1, 2.89 ERA)
Ralph Ford (2-1, 1.32 ERA) vs. Vaughn Higgins (4-0, 1.42 ERA)

Higgins. Yet, his .220 BABIP suggests that luck is due to run out. Well. Maybe next week.

Game 1
OCT: RF Barnes – CF Humphrey – 3B Higashi – 1B T. Cardenas – LF D. Henry – C Vinson – SS Grant – 2B Ayala – P Anderson
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – LF Roberson – 3B Sharp – SS Matthews – C Fifield – P F. Garcia

While Chris Roberson took over the team RBI lead with a 3-run homer in the bottom 1st, that merely was the minimum for the Raccoons to take a lead. Garcia had been taken deep by Takahashi Higashi for two runs in the top of the first already. He wasn’t getting better either, walking a pair in the third, before Dan Henry loaded the bases with a single. Two down, Garcia had Vinson at 2-2, then allowed a single up the middle, and the game was resolved in favor of the visiting team rather early when Garcia next served up a grand slam to Bob Grant. Three innings, seven runs, well done, suckerface. And it not get any less horrific from here on out. Trying to piece together six innings with the shambles of a shortened bullpen, we started off with Kevin Jones, hoping for two innings, which didn’t quite come together for him. He walked four, three of those left-handers, plus Vinson, and allowed a 2-run single to Grant, running the score to TEN for the Thunder, and still five to play. Huerta was pressed out for two innings, allowing two runs, after having already thrown 41 pitches the day before. Depressingly, the Raccoons’ offense actually scored runs, closing back to 12-8 in the bottom 6th around a big 2-run double by Palacios, but it just wasn’t working out at all for them. In the seventh, Martinez gave up another run, which Martin homered back onto the board. And again, to no avail. Marcos Bruno was taken deep twice in the eighth, and the ninth was pitched by Mark Thomas. And that was not going to end well either. Two strong pitching weeks were long forgotten, and now it was blowout after blowout. 19-11 Thunder. Brady 3-5; Palacios 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Martin 4-5, 2 HR, 2B, 5 RBI; Roberson 2-5, HR, 3 RBI; Matthews 2-4, 2B; Ingall (PH) 1-1, RBI;

So the Thunder had home runs from Vinson, Grant, Higashi, and Butch Kaustrop. Yeah, that guy. Grant drove home seven on five hits, tying a franchise record, and Vinson plated a handful, too. The Raccoons walked a full dozen, and every single pitcher was tagged for at least one run, and all but one (Martinez) for two or (much) more. Nordahl and Miller did not pitch, because there was really no need to waste Nordahl on the rest of the abortions with the brown caps, and Miller was still incarcerated by the ABL high priests.

That puts us at 85-85 in runs scored/allowed. That might be more or less average in either category, but the speed at which pitching is unravelling is frightening, to say the least. Well, we did one thing.

Kevin Jones, 9 G, 5.1 IP, 5 H, 12 BB, 5 K, 11.81 ERA was designated for assignment. We called up Juan Diaz. I know.

Game 2
OCT: RF Barnes – CF Humphrey – 3B Higashi – 1B T. Cardenas – LF D. Henry – C Vinson – SS Grant – 2B H. Castro – P Trevino
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – LF Parker – SS Guerin – C Fifield – P Bean

We absolutely needed a long outing from Carl Bean, seven innings and upwards. We got off to a good start with a scoreless first for Bean and Clyde Brady hitting a leadoff jack in the bottom of the inning. Up 1-0, Bean went to ****s in the top 2nd, allowing four hits, three of them hard, for two runs for the Thunder. No, we would not get a sufficiently long outing. Bean was whacked again in a gruesome sixth and left well short of the stated goal, having allowed four runs. The Raccoons had had only one chance in the meantime, two in scoring position with two outs in the fifth, aided by a Thunder error, but Martin grounded out and they didn’t score. Diaz appeared in the seventh, facing mostly the left-handers at the top of the lineup. Four batters in, the Thunder had three runs. 7-2 Thunder. Fifield 2-4, HR, RBI;

Bled from the mouth the first time this year. Two weeks of sugar, and 24 weeks of getting beaten, battered, raped, and flailed. Nice mix.

Game 3
OCT: CF Santos – C Briggs – SS Grant – 1B Higashi – 2B Kaustrop – RF M. Rodriguez – LF Barnes – 3B Ayala – P Higgins
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – CF Reece – 1B Martin – LF Roberson – 3B Ingall – SS Guerin – C Thomas – P Ford

The Thunder played their B team, while the bookies still gave them a -5 spread. It’s okay. Furry woodlands creatures don’t have feelings anyway. Also, we had an off day coming up, so who gave a crap about how deep Ford would go? The first things to go deep was a ball off the bat of Bob Grant, 1-0 Thunder, and while Brady hit a double to get the bottom 1st underway, he was stranded at first. Roberson doubled to start the second, and he eventually tied the game on a sac fly by Mark Thomas. Roberson made a hero’s play on Butch Kaustrop’s menacing liner in the top 3rd to strand a full complement of runners in that inning. The Raccoons continued to hit doubles off Higgins: with Palacios on second in the bottom 3rd, both Reece and Martin hit doubles and we took a 3-1 lead. What looked like relief coming for a moment, developed into another nightmare with a leadoff double by the pitcher Higgins in the top of the fifth inning. Ford was rapidly rocked for another double by Angel Santos, a Jason Briggs triple, and when Grant hit one deep to Reece, it was still a go-ahead sac fly. Higashi homered, and Ford went into the bin. Miller came in, fresh off the suspension, walked a pair, and was taken deep by Artie Barnes without registering an out. The next ball was plenty deep to center, and Reece made a leaping grab, then crashed into the dirt and left the game. The Raccoons had Roberson double home a pair in the bottom 7th, before they loaded the bags with no outs against reliever Sancho Rivera in the eighth. No outs, Brady next, and he walked – and then the line stopped moving. Palacios’ groundout was the last run coming home. After a second scoreless inning from Nordahl (nobody else left…), Matthews was the last bat off the bench, and singled in Nordahl’s place, bringing the tying run up again, but Ingall fouled out and soon enough Guerin hit into a game-ending double play. 9-7 Thunder. Brady 2-4, BB, 2 2B, RBI; Palacios 2-5, RBI; Roberson 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Flores 1-1; Nordahl 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K;

The Falcons claimed and received Kevin Jones. We made it an express delivery to make sure he didn’t stick around any second longer than absolutely necessary. About $170k of salary space successfully regained. Now let’s watch him regain his 2 K/BB rate in about two weeks’ time.

Meanwhile Neil Reece is again down with a back injury. He has suffered a herniated disc once again (looks like all Raccoons outfielders eventually turn into Daniel Hall on the medical chart), and will be out for a month.

And where are the good news????

This would have been 100% the callup for Edgardo Torrez (.811 OPS in AAA), but he was battling a sore shoulder and would not be back to top condition for about another week, being listed as DTD. Cal Lyon was the only other living outfielder on the 40-man roster and got the callup as the Reecester was disabled.

Raccoons (10-11) @ Titans (17-5) – April 26-28, 2002

The Titans were not really far behind the Thunder in terms off dominance, at least on the pitching side, where they ranked 2nd overall in the CL, and first in relief ERA. Their offense was third after being shut out twice by the Raccoons(!?) to begin the season. Since then, they had won 16 of 19 games, and this can end oh so well… Add to that the fact that their lineup leans massively to the left side, so right-handed pitchers will go through hell against them. Well, it’s not like ours didn’t go through there against weaker opposition …

Projected matchups:
Randy Farley (0-3, 4.39 ERA) vs. Joe Mann (1-1, 2.83 ERA)
Nick Brown (1-1, 1.44 ERA) vs. Bryce Hildred (2-0, 2.57 ERA)
Felipe Garcia (0-2, 10.13 ERA) vs. Jason O’Halloran (2-1, 2.91 ERA)

We were a bit starved for left-handed opposition, facing our first left-hander of the week on Sunday, and things hadn’t been particularly rich for us from the left side all month. I would love to blame the struggles of our right-handers on the opposition alone, but general lack of talent might figure into the equation at some point.

And the praying begins: dear baseball gods, at least let our starters cover seven innings.

Game 1
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – CF Roberson – 1B Martin – SS Guerin – LF Parker – 3B Sharp – C Fifield – P Farley
BOS: SS D. Silva – 2B Matsumoto – RF G. Munoz – C L. Lopez – 3B Austin – CF Garrison – LF Kinnear – 1B H. Ramirez – P Mann

No score in the third inning, until Randy was tagged by Joe Mann’s leadoff double in the bottom of the frame. Predictably the Titans jumped at the opportunity and with another double by Matsumoto plated two runs in the inning. The Raccoons had no hits the first time through the lineup before landing consecutive 1-out singles from Roberson, Martin, and Guerin in the top fourth. Beneath those, in the swamps of sub-.200 bats, the wretched deserts of our lineup, the best we could find was a Parker sac fly, and not a single run more than that. Kinnear’s 1-out single was followed by Farley hitting Ramirez in the bottom of the inning, but he made up for it with a marvelous play on Mann’s admittedly pathetic bunt, starting a stunning 1-5-4 double play. While Farley came through with the bat in the seventh and singled home Fifield to tie the score, he also couldn’t dig his way through the bottom of the same inning. The Titans placed runners on the corners with two down and Gonzalo Munoz due up, prompting a call to Domingo Moreno, who got a grounder to first – and a capital misplay from Albert Martin. And that was it for the Raccoons in this particular loss. Four Titans relievers faced six Raccoons the rest of the way. 3-2 Titans. Moreno 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K;

It is - …

(facepalm)

Game 2
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – SS Guerin – 3B Matthews – CF Lyon – C Fifield – P Brown
BOS: CF Elizondo – 3B V. Flores – 1B Matsumoto – LF Austin – SS D. Silva – RF Bryant – 2B H. Ramirez – C Bader – P Hildred

Brown was more or less a wild card (no pun intended) in that you didn’t quite know what you’d get: the wild one, or the WILD one. This was a good start for Nicky, although he hit Matsumoto in the first, but did not issue an actual walk until the fifth. Then, the Titans were scoreless, while the Coons had plated one run on a Matthews sac fly in the second inning. Cal Lyon’s first hit of the season was a 2-out triple in the fifth, and while the Titans elected to bypass even a .176 Fifield for the pitcher, Hildred then uncorked a pitch that twisted way past Corey Bader and plated Lyon regardless. We got another run in the sixth courtesy of a Martin single, 3-0. Bottom 6th, Brown faced Hildred, the count ran full, and he walked him, and I knew right there that we were going to lose. Elizondo singled up the middle, and when Palacios got a grounder from Victor Flores that was good for at least one out, he threw it past Guerin at second base. Bases loaded, no outs, a shaking boy on the mound, and a .420 opposite-hitting batter at the plate in Matsumoto. Can anyone come up with a better recipe for disaster? The pitching coach went out to calm Nicky down – unsuccessfully. He threw a ball to Matsumoto, then a wild one, 3-1. The batter walked, reloading the bags, and the bullpen was stirring to relieve Brown at the southern end of the left-handed Austin and Silva. Austin struck out, and Silva grounded sharply to Palacios who made the play this time, and it counted for two. Everything back to normal? Brown returned for the seventh. Howard Bryant singled, his first hit of the year, and Hector Ramirez homered in a full count to tie the score. Yes, everything is normal. The team sucked balls, drawing seven straight balls from Hildred in the top 8th, with a Brady walk and a Palacios single, runners on the corners, no outs, and no score, no more balls leaving the infield. And Hildred was still in the game in the ninth, with Matthews singling up first. He was bunted over by Lyon, and Parker made an out in Fifield’s place. Sharp hit for Moreno, who had ended the bottom 8th and sent the first pitch from Hildred into the gap in left center. Rudy Garrison couldn’t get it and Sharp ended up with a go-ahead RBI double! Two more runs scored on a Brady triple and wild pitch by Ramiro Román who came in way too late and then did nothing to help the Titans’ cause. Nordahl was perfect in the bottom 9th. 6-3 Raccoons. Palacios 2-4, BB; Martin 2-4, 2B, RBI; Sharp (PH) 1-1, 2B, RBI;

Domingo Moreno has now won four games this season, totaling the harvest of the entire rotation.

Edgardo Torrez suffered a setback with the shoulder and will labor with that for at least another week. Because we don’t have enough issues already, I guess. He was finally put on the DL to shut him down for a week.

Game 3
POR: SS Guerin – RF Brady – CF Roberson – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – 2B Ingall – LF G. Flores – C Thomas – P F. Garcia
BOS: LF Elizondo – 2B Matsumoto – RF G. Munoz – C L. Lopez – 3B Austin – CF Garrison – SS D. Silva – 1B H. Ramirez – P O’Halloran

Measured against how Garcia was pitching on this cold Sunday, and what the Titans were doing to him, the old saying it was better to be lucky than good came to mind. Garcia was as **** as a pile of horse dung, while clearly having been hit in the head by at least a couple of horse shoes before the start. He went to full counts against five of the first seven batters he faced, of which only two reached base and none scored, while he didn’t strike out any of those. The Titans *did* score soon enough, one run each in the third and fourth, enough to comfortably lead by two runs, as the Raccoons did not do much at all against O’Halloran, and when they had two men in scoring position once, it was Garcia up with one out and in an instant Lady Luck whiffed her tail and galloped off into the sunset. Somehow Garcia managed to tumble through seven innings without getting any more brandings, but the rest of the team still collectively stood calmly at the fence, munching hay, and not bothering much about being saddled and ridden. O’Halloran scattered five hits and two walks in eight innings before trotting off and leaving the final set of Dressage to John Bennett. While his performance during his time in the arena was sufficiently bad, and Roberson, Palacios, and Ingall all ripped hits off him, he stopped the bleeding with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, striking out Parker and Thomas to end the game. 2-1 Titans. Roberson 2-4, 2B; Ingall 2-3, BB; Thomas 2-4, 2 2B;

Can’t somebody give this team the spurs?

In other news

April 22 – IND SP Anthony Mosher (1-1, 3.97 ERA) needs elbow reconstruction surgery and will not pitch again until at least a year from now.
April 22 – OCT 2B/SS Kuang Liu (.320, 3 HR, 24 RBI) is out with a concussion and could miss most of the remainder of the season.
April 23 – The hitting streak of SFB Tom Walls is officially over. After 33 games, he draws a blank against the Loggers and goes 0-3 in the Bayhawks’ 1-0 victory.
April 23 – The Loggers lose 1B/3B Jorge Cruz (.232, 0 HR, 4 RBI) to knee tendinitis. He could miss up to a month.

Complaints and stuff

First four series: 12 G, 8-4, 4.25 R/G, 2.25 R/A
Next three series: 9 G, 2-7, 4.78 R/G, 7.22 R/A

And I am not supposed to snap because of … why exactly …?

[Questdog]

I thanked you for the above post, but I really was not very thankful....that was not a good week.....

[pgjocki]

Please trade/waive/release Diaz. I swear he just brings the entire team down. Surely there is a high work ethic reliever in AA or AAA who can take over for him.

[Westheim]

Contrary to popular belief, Juan Diaz' desire to win is extremely high. After every terrible outing he has, he will cry for hours before finally going to sleep. Which means, after EVERY outing he has, he will - ...

The coaching staff says he tries as hard as everybody else. Looking at the remains in AAA, there is nothing down there instilling even the most remote hope.

And to be honest, the reason I brought up Diaz over Mauro Rodriguez was plainly the fact that Rodriguez is not on the 40-man roster and the Raccoons don't have money to waste......

By the way, Royce Green is a free agent. I talked to him. $650k were tossed around, but I am sure we could entice him to come here for a bit less than $500k. However, we don't have even that. Poor Royce. We can't fulfill even his admittedly modest financial desires.

Who cares about my desires?

I desire a pitcher named Hogan. I already have Sharp's sharp grounders, in contrast to his rather blunt glove, but I desire a pitcher named Hogan. Then I could break into a whole new level of sillyness talking about Hogan's Heroes down on the field, and deliver game reports in a terrible fake French or German accent.

I have a list of these desires. And I don't even have come to the weirder half of the list yet.

[Westheim]

Raccoons (11-13) @ Canadiens (10-14) – April 29-May 1, 2002

The Canadiens were giving up runs at the same pace the Raccoons had surrendered them for the last two weeks only, with 142 runs already against them. Interestingly, their offense ranked 2nd in the Continental League, largely paced by 1B Ivan Gutierrez and his 11 homers.

Projected matchups:
Carl Bean (1-2, 2.84 ERA) vs. Joe Hollow (1-1, 3.94 ERA)
Ralph Ford (2-2, 2.56 ERA) vs. Cal Holbrook (1-2, 7.79 ERA)
Randy Farley (0-4, 4.05 ERA) vs. Jose Dominguez (2-1, 3.34 ERA)

Game 1
POR: RF Brady – SS Guerin – CF Roberson – 2B Palacios – 3B Sharp – 1B Ingall – LF Lyon – C Thomas – P Bean
VAN: CF T. Wilson – 3B Sutton – LF Trinidad – 1B I. Gutierrez – SS Phillips – RF Wheaton – 2B J. Zamora – C Hurtado – P Hollow

The first time Bean faced Gutierrez in this game, he clipped him, and we assumed the Canadiens were sensitive about their slugger and would likely take objection to such move. Nothing came about the HBP and the game remained scoreless, which even was true after the third, in which both teams loaded them up – Bean again hitting a batter in Ramon Trinidad – but left three on when flying out to left – in Bean’s case that was Gutierrez. When somebody broke through, it was the Elks, who singled three times to get the bottom 4th underway. Although they didn’t score on their own hitting prowess, they managed a sac fly, and Bean gave them another run on a wild pitch, just for good measure. Bean surrendered another run in the fifth and went seven innings in total, while the Raccoons performed insufficiently, to say the least. A Wilson error helped them score an unearned run in the eighth, but that was before Juan Diaz faced three batters, including two left-handers, and all three reached base. 5-1 Canadiens.

(face is firmly buried in the palms)

Game 2
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 3B Matthews – SS Guerin – CF Lyon – C Fifield – P Ford
VAN: CF T. Wilson – 3B A. De Jesus – LF Trinidad – RF P. Taylor – SS Phillips – 2B J. Zamora – C Hurtado – 1B Shaw – P Holbrook

The Elks started with an infield single by Tom Wilson, who was soon in to score, but left the bags full in the bottom 1st. Down 1-0, the Raccoons loaded the bases themselves in the top 3rd with one out. Roberson was up but grounded to Alfredo De Jesus at third base, who nevertheless only got the out at first base. The game was tied, and the Raccoons unleashed some 2-out terror now, with Martin singling home a pair, Matthews singling, and Guerin hit a double onto the left field line for another two runs and a 5-1 lead. Bottom 3rd, two down, nobody on, the Raccoons managed to manufacture a most magnificient run – for Vancouver. Phil Taylor’s grounder was bungled by Guerin for the first error. When Taylor set off to swipe second, Fifield’s throw was well into center and Taylor ended up at third, from where he scored on a wild 2-1 pitch to Jim Phillips. The Coons got two the next frame, including a solo homer by Fifield, who tried to make up for his sins (yet I never give absolution), with Ford getting tagged by Jesus Zamora for a solo home run in the bottom 5th, bringing the score to 8-3. The Coons added a single run in the sixth on a Matthews home run, his first for Portland, and Ford more or less solidly continued, and even into the ninth, but a double by Phillips got him out. The run was conceded by Huerta, who failed to end the game, and Moreno came in, but also surrendered a run before the lid came down on this game. 9-5 Raccoons. Brady 2-4, BB, RBI; Palacios 2-4, BB; Lyon 2-5; Fifield 2-5, HR, 2B, RBI; Ford 8.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (3-2);

We signed 35-year old OF Alejandro Olvera to a minor league deal today, which right now is just for depth reasons, since it’s not even May and our outfield has already been axed thin by injuries throughout the system. Olvera hasn’t played in the big leagues since 1999, and didn’t collect more than 250 AB since 1996, making for rather shallow depth.

Game 3
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – CF Lyon – C Thomas – P Farley
VAN: CF T. Wilson – 3B Sutton – 1B I. Gutierrez – SS Phillips – RF Wheaton – 2B J. Zamora – LF A. Roldán – C D. Davis – P Dominguez

After Matthews the day before, another two Coons hit his first home run of the year in the third contest of the series, with Mark Thomas doing the 2-run honors in the second inning. The Elks began to crowd Randy by the bottom of the same inning, leaving two men on, and they left the bags full in the next inning. Top 4th, another Coon came through with his first long shot of the year, and it was Cal Lyon, and that one counted for three runs, after Guerin and Sharp had gotten on with no outs. The Elks had two on with two out in the bottom 4th when they hit for Dominguez. Ramon Trinidad grounded past the mound and Palacios was not quick enough to make the play, as the run scored on the infield single. Another single by Tom Wilson later, Sutton singled to right and Trinidad turned the hot corner, but Brady hammered him out at home, keeping the score at 5-1. Randy struggled with control at times and approached 120 pitches in the seventh inning, still up 5-1. Nobody on, one out, Moreno faced Gutierrez and got him as well as Phillips to end the frame. The next inning, the Elks couldn’t get anybody out. Bases loaded, no outs, Matthews drew a walk, Paul Kirkland threw a wild one to plate another run, then hit Brady, and surrendered a 2-run single to Palacios. The next three Coons however were sat down by Kirkland, leaving up a 4 for this inning. The Elks never threatened again. 9-1 Coons. Palacios 2-4, BB, 2 RBI; Sharp 2-4, BB, 2B; Lyon 2-5, HR, 3 RBI; Thomas 2-5, HR, 2 RBI; Farley 6.1 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (1-4) and 2-2, BB;

The bottom of the CL was densely packed. In fact, except for the Titans all teams were within two games of each other, and after being merely a game out of last on Monday, the Raccoons were now tied for second, albeit six and a half games back.

This was NOT the first career homer for Cal Lyon. During his first cup of coffee in 2000 (merely 29 AB) he already hit one out – one of the three hits he had in all of those 29 AB. He didn’t appear for us last year, also missing a good chunk of the 2001 season due to injury.

Raccoons (13-14) @ Wolves (12-15) – May 3-5, 2002

The Wolves graced the bottom of the FL West, with the worst rotation in the league over there. A slightly above-average offense helped them greatly to keep close contact, though. They had an average bullpen.

Projected matchups:
Nick Brown (1-1, 1.56 ERA) vs. Billy Lawson (1-1, 4.88 ERA)
Carl Bean (1-3, 3.03 ERA) vs. Wilson Hernandez (0-0, 2.19 ERA)
Ralph Ford (3-2, 2.72 ERA) vs. George Allen (2-2, 7.16 ERA)

We are facing three right-handers here again. Not many lefty arms facing the Furballs early in the season…

Game 1
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – CF Roberson – 1B Martin – SS Guerin – 3B Sharp – LF Parker – C Thomas – P Brown
SAL: RF J. Flores – SS Hutchinson – LF Wales – C J. Lopez – 2B Metting – CF Summers – 3B McGreary – 1B Fleming – P Lawson

The Coons batted through the lineup right in the first inning, knocking six hits, including triples by Roberson and Parker, and drove in five runs. Now, if Nicky had a decent day, that would we well enough. If he was in a walky mood …….. His first pitch hit Jesus Flores and my heart skipped a few beats right away. No, we would not have an easy day, and not even a nice day. Kurt Metting’s 2-run homer brought the score to 5-3 before the inning was over, and Tom Fleming slammed the score to 5-4 in the second, which also didn’t end and Dale Wales singled home the tying run before the third inning dawned. Manuel Martinez had to rescue Brown in the third inning with two men on. What a mood killer. The mood was killed even further when the Coons plated a run off Cesar Salcido in the top 4th, which Ricardo Huerta gave right back, and in the sixth Juan Diaz gave up a leadoff jack to Corey Patel that put the Raccoons in a hole, two hours after they had bum-rushed Billy Lawson for five in the first. Daniel Miller gave up three extra base hits and two runs in the seventh and the Raccoons were creamed again. 9-6 Wolves. Brady 2-5; Martin 2-4, 2B; Parker 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Flores (PH) 1-1;

Game 2
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – SS Matthews – 3B Ingall – CF Lyon – C Fifield – P Bean
SAL: 3B McGreary – 2B Metting – LF Wales – RF J. Flores – C J. Lopez – SS Hutchinson – CF Summers – 1B J. Mullins – P W. Hernandez

Roberson came up lame after a first inning double and had to be replaced by Gil Flores. The Coons scratched out single runs on 2-out singles in both the second and fifth innings while the Wolves were still looking for ways to break through Carl Bean’s defenses. Before that however, Wilson Hernandez walked the first two Coons in the sixth and then an Ingall single made it 3-0. Then in the bottom 6th, things went off with Toby McGreary drawing a walk from Bean, who fell 3-1 on Metting, but Metting poked and hit right into a double play. Bean was done after seven, having walked four, against only one hit allowed to the Wolves. The top 8th saw back-to-back 2-out doubles by Ingall and Lyon and then loaded the bases for Brady against a struggling Momsilo Plavsic, who issued a full count walk. The Wolves put two men on against the bullpen of Diaz and Bruno in the bottom 8th, but didn’t score, and Bruno continued and ended the game, striking out the last two batters in the game. 5-0 Coons. Roberson 1-1, 2B; Sharp (PH) 1-1; Ingall 2-5, 2B, RBI; Bean 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K, W (2-3) and 1-3; Bruno 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K;

Roberson slightly tweaked his quad, but the next day he claimed to be brand new. The trainer gave him a good look, then shrugged and went to have a sandwich.

Game 3
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – CF Roberson – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – SS Guerin – LF Parker – C Thomas – P Ford
SAL: RF J. Flores – SS Hutchinson – LF Wales – C J. Lopez – 2B Metting – CF Summers – 3B McGreary – 1B Fleming – P Allen

Both teams left the bags full in the second inning, and both had their pitchers make the final out, but in the fourth the Wolves had a runner on third with two out and again George Allen up. This time a quite wild Ralph Ford walked the pitcher and paid for it with Jesus Flores singling in the first run of the game. The Coons had been terribly tame through four, but then it was Ford to ignite them with a single in the top 5th. Brady drew a walk, and with two outs Chris Roberson tattooed an offering from George Allen that was no doubt outta here, and the score swung around to 3-1 Coons. Ford was limited to six innings suffering from ill control, walking four in this start. Martin singled home a run in the seventh, 4-1, and the Coons added two in the eighth after two errors by the Wolves and Guerin stealing his second base of the game. Huerta took over after Miller tossed a scoreless inning, and did not allow a run for the rest of the way, while the Wolves collapsed for another three runs in the ninth. 9-1 Coons! Roberson 2-5, HR, 2B, 4 RBI; Martin 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Guerin 2-5; Huerta 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K;

With that, we got back to .500 for the season, but a whopping eight games behind the motoring Titans. It deserves to be mentioned again that they are 3-3 against the Furballs, and 21-5 against anybody else. Dumb luck, I know.

Raccoons (15-15) vs. Cyclones (17-13) – May 7-9, 2002

Cincy was fourth in both runs scored and runs allowed in the Federal League, ranking second in their division – just like the Coons did in theirs, and the Coons were also fourth in runs allowed in the Continental League, but only seventh in runs scored.

Projected matchups:
Randy Farley (1-4, 3.63 ERA) vs. Lewis Donaldson (2-2, 4.09 ERA)
Nick Brown (1-1, 2.34 ERA) vs. Alfonso Velasco (4-2, 3.19 ERA)
Carl Bean (2-3, 2.56 ERA) vs. Miguel Lopez (3-3, 3.95 ERA)

Yes, that’s our Miguel Lopez. Doing well so far, and he will be our first left-hander in over a week.

Also, this will be our first string of more than nine games this season, as we will play 16 straight through May 22, 13 of those at home, before hitting the Bay two weeks from now.

Game 1
CIN: 3B Berman – 2B Brewer – CF Bailey – LF D. Morris – 1B Burris – SS Nakayama – RF Graves – C Rucker – P Donaldson
POR: RF Brady – SS Guerin – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – CF Lyon – 2B Ingall – C Thomas – P Farley

Another not very good start for Randy, and for various reasons. Rookie catcher Robert Rucker tagged him with a 2-out, 2-run double in the second inning, and in the third he was involved in a close play at first base where he had to stretch awkwardly to get an out, and tweaked a hamstring. His start ended after three innings and on the short side of the score, as the Raccoons had not been on base so far. This was something that would drag on for a little longer. Huerta tossed three scoreless innings and it wasn’t until he was hit for by Chris Parker in the bottom 6th that we got a single to break up Donaldson’s bid. With our starter wiped out and a dozen more games on the horizon, and Garcia really not planned for in this series either, and us behind anyway, and struggling badly - … Garcia came into the game in the seventh. Garcia went two innings, gave up two runs, one unearned, and that was why he wasn’t getting starts with our frequent off days. His turn to hit came up in the bottom 8th, down 4-0, with two on and no outs. Palacios hit for him, struck out, and Brady hit into an inning-ender to ex-Coon David Brewer. No, the Raccoons weren’t going to get anything done this Tuesday. 5-0 Cyclones. Martin 2-3, BB; Huerta 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Daniel Miller gave up another home run in the ninth. That’s six homers in 12 innings. That’s two homers less than all of last year. I’m getting the impression that something is afoul with him.

In good news, Farley’s hamstring was not strained, only a bit sore, and he would not miss his next start. Also, Edgardo Torrez came off the disabled list and rejoined AAA. We expect him up here soon.

Game 2
CIN: 2B P. Durán – SS Nakayama – CF Bailey – 3B Berman – LF D. Morris – 1B Burris – RF Graves – C Mosley – P Velasco
POR: RF Brady – 2B Palacios – CF Roberson – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – LF Parker – SS Guerin – C Thomas – P Brown

Brown had not struck out anybody in his last start, but struck out the side in the first inning here, give or take a Will Bailey single. Things looked good – for one inning. The next inning three Cyclones reached and then Guerin made an error that we really didn’t need to happen. The Cyclones took a 2-0, half unearned, lead. The Coons loaded them up in the bottom 2nd on two walks and a single, but Velasco struck out Thomas and Brown to escape. No, it was not a good start for Brown, and not even a decent one, either. He might strike out seven, but over five innings he also allowed five runs. To make things worse, the Raccoons were again getting shut out, and it would get much worse. Top 6th, Miller in, Velasco led off with a hopper that went through Palacios’ legs for a single. When Pablo Durán grounded to Guerin, Palacios collided with Velasco at second base and fell on his hand. Visibly in pain, he left the game and Ingall replaced him. And it wouldn’t get better for anybody. Miller walked two in his second inning and was removed, Moreno holding the 5-0 deficit together. In the bottom 7th the Coons got two singles from Parker and Guerin up front, and then a Gil Flores double play. Same in the eighth, two hits, Martin hit into a double play. No, it was not meant to be. The Raccoons would not score any runs ever again. 5-0 Cyclones. Ingall 1-1; Guerin 2-3, BB;

More bad news: Jesus Palacios broke his hand and he is out of commission for about a month. Yeah well, everything is falling to pieces, why not the players themselves, too? Palacios went to the DL, joining Neil Reece, and we called up Miguel Ramirez, batting .295/.419/.611 in AAA, with 9 HR and 19 RBI.

Game 3
CIN: 3B Berman – 2B Brewer – CF Bailey – LF D. Morris – SS Nakayama – RF Graves – 1B P. Durán – C Rucker – P M. Lopez
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Matthews – RF Brady – CF Roberson – 3B M. Ramirez – 1B Sharp – LF Flores – C Fifield – P Bean

Nothing against Old Miguel, but we’d probably not want one of those 20+ innings scoreless streaks. The streak didn’t get there, it ended at 18, but not through anything the Raccoons did in the end: with two out and Matthews on third, Lopez threw a wild pitch that almost took out Ramirez at the plate. Contrary to popular belief however, the Raccoons *were* still able to score under their own power and Clyde Brady did the honors with a 1-out RBI single in the third inning, giving Bean a 2-0 lead. Carl gave up a run in the top 5th, but led off the bottom of the inning with a single. For the second consecutive time, Brady would come up with one out and runners on the corners, and this time he hit one that would sting Lopez for longer, drumming a 3-run home run to left center! With a 5-1 lead we looked pretty good, but – nooooo. In the top 6th, Bean was battered by Bailye and Morris with leadoff home runs. Two outs, then two singles, and then he walked a pair. In the most dire circumstances, Domingo Moreno was tasked with that final out as long as we still had a 5-4 lead, but Brewer doubled and all was over and laid in ashes. When the Raccoons in turn had their first two batters on base in the sixth, they never moved them, with Fifield, Parker, and Guerin cycling in and out in the Big Revolving Door of Fail. Bottom 8th: first two men on, and then … Fifield … Parker … Guerin. The horrors. The horrors. 6-5 Cyclones. Brady 3-4, BB, HR, 4 RBI; Bruno 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K; Diaz 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

(sits dejectedly at the desk, loaded gun in one hand, big bar of chocolate that has already been bitten off in the other hand)

Raccoons (15-18) vs. Indians (16-19) – May 10-12, 2002

Next to roll over the Suckoons were the Indians, never mind them ranking 9th in offense and 11th in pitching. They will find a way. What was more important, the Raccoons would find a way to make sure the Indians would win.

We called up Edgardo Torrez at the expense of Cal Lyon. While Lyon was batting .280 and thus twice as much as Gil Flores, Lyon was on his last option year, while Flores was out of such. I wanted to see a bit more from Flores before exposing him to waivers, especially with our system ravaged by injuries, and players don’t grow on trees.

Projected matchups:
Ralph Ford (4-2, 2.56 ERA) vs. Kevin Edwards (0-1, 8.10 ERA)
Randy Farley (1-5, 3.80 ERA) vs. Alonso Alonso (3-3, 4.02 ERA)
Nick Brown (1-2, 2.95 ERA) vs. Manuel Alba (3-4, 4.50 ERA)

No left-handers. Once again no left-handed pitching from the opposition. What was going on?

Game 1
IND: C Turner – SS M. Jones – LF Alston – 1B D. Lopez – RF Greenman – CF J. Valdez – 3B J. Garcia – 2B Stevens – P Edwards
POR: RF Brady – CF Torrez – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – SS Guerin – 2B Ingall – C Fifield – P Ford

Ralph’s control was off by a mile. In the second inning he went to full counts on all three batters, resulting in a walk, a strikeout, and a 6-4-3 relief. The Indians struggled to make contact off him, however, and didn’t get a hit until the fourth when David Lopez doubled but was left on base. The Raccoons laboriously scratched out two runs through five innings, one doubled home by Martin, and one on a Fifield home run, and when Ford returned from the sixth, he pulled a Bean and the first three batters reached base on hits, all of a sudden, and the Indians casually tied the score at two. It was very frustrating, all … all this. Yet, we still had something left, the right hand of power, and it was attached to Chris Roberson, who muscled a 2-run homer in bottom of the same inning, restoring the 2-run lead. Ford struck out Ron Alston to start the eighth, then left to have Martinez pitch to the right-handers, and both Lopez and Greenman were sat down by him. Roberson and Martin had a chance with two men on in the bottom 8th, but couldn’t get anybody home, but this gave Dan Nordahl his first save opportunity since the Second Punic War. He was perfect, with two K’s. 4-2 Coons. Ford 7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, W (5-2);

Ford is not all that great, but he keeps games together most of the time and is 5-2 on a team that has a hard time mustering other pitchers with multiple wins.

Game 2
IND: 2B Montray – SS M. Jones – LF Alston – C Paraz – 3B D. Lopez – 1B J. Garcia – CF Cavazos – RF J. Lugo – P Alonso
POR: RF Brady – CF Torrez – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 3B M. Ramirez – SS Guerin – 2B Ingall – C Fifield – P Farley

The Indians dealt themselves an early blow with double-plus-ungood defense in the bottom 1st. Lopez and Jones both made errors, and with two out an Ingall single plated a pair for a 3-run inning. Apart from Ingall, only Torrez reached base on his own merit. Up 3-0, Farley blew it instantly, issuing three walks in the top 2nd as the Indians re-tied the score on hits by Cavazos and Montray. Shoddy pitching was something the Indians mastered, too, however, and the Coons had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom 2nd. Martin doubled and the next 3-spot was on the board. Farley took his time blowing the lead this time, but by the fourth offered another walk and it led to a run again. Our lineup took the cue and knew they had to up the sore. Chris Roberson took care, launching a 2-run homer in the bottom 4th that tied Al Martin for the team lead with eight. Farley somehow got through the fifth on his own, and in the sixth Guerin helped him with starting a double play. In the seventh, he walked Jesus Garcia for the third time on the day and was yanked. Depressingly, we got no help from either Moreno or Martinez. The Indians kept reeling off hits and drawing walks and had runners on the corners with the score back to 8-7, when Cavazos grounded out to finally end the inning. Why? Just why can’t things work out JUST ONCE?? But no, the world was upside down, exemplified by Juan Diaz facing three left-handers in the eighth and sitting them down in order. Well, some things never change, like the Coons putting on a pair in the bottom 8th and not scoring. Dan Nordahl had no cushion against the middle of the order in the ninth, and Nordahl walked a pair before David Lopez singled home the tying run. The Suckoons were wholly unable to do anything well, and when Ron Alston homered off Huerta in the 11th, it was the ballgame, because the Raccoons put two on, and they never score when they put two on with less than two out. To be precise, David Rios pitched with two on and one out to Roberson, who grounded to short, and Mike Jones made his second error on the day, this time loading the bases. And now the Raccoons - … had Mark Thomas, batting .175, at the plate, because Martin had been removed for defense earlier. Can’t defend against Nordahl’s walks, though. (sour face) Thomas HAD to bat. He flew to left, into the second out, Sharp was sent, and thrown out. 9-8 Indians. Roberson 2-6, HR, 2 RBI; Sharp (PH) 2-2;

Every day a nightmare. Every day the pain. Every day … every day another day in hell.

Game 3
IND: 3B Montray – SS M. Jones – LF Alston – 1B D. Lopez – RF Greenman – CF J. Valdez – C Turner – 2B Stevens – P Alba
POR: SS Guerin – CF Torrez – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – RF Brady – 2B Matthews – 3B M. Ramirez – C Thomas – P Brown

The Raccoons hit into double plays in the first two innings, but somehow Albert Martin found a way to sneak in a game-tying homer, after Ron Alston had taken Nick Brown deep in the first, signaling us that we wouldn’t have fun with the flamethrower this time either, despite him striking out Montray and Jones to start the game. In the bottom 4th, Torrez and Roberson got on base at the start of the inning, and Martin had a productive run-scoring groundout, followed by a Brady single that put runners on the corners with one out. Matthews managed a sac fly and the bases got loaded, but Brown grounded out, leaving the score at 3-1. Alba then led off the fifth with a double. No, no, it wouldn’t work out. Montray was gently stroked in the abdominal area by Brown (with a pitch, in case you were guessing), and Alston brought home the first run of the inning, with runners moving into scoring position. Lopez grounded hard to first, but Martin made the play for the second out. Now Brown just had to retire Greenman, got to 2-2, before Greenman knocked a grounder past the mound, and a hero’s play by Matthews held the score together at 3-2. Bottom 5th, Guerin whiffed, but Torrez got on with a single and Roberson hit one to deep left, but it missed the wall and Torrez was held at third for Martin with one out. Martin hit a single to plate one run and then Brady found a way to hit into the third double play for the team. Brown was gone after a leadoff walk in the seventh, and Moreno got three outs. In the bottom of the frame, Lorenzo Martinez pitched and gave up bloop singles to both Sharp and Concie with no outs. After Torrez popped out, Roberson and Martin grounded out, and nobody scored. The eighth was uneventful, and we used up Marcos Bruno, which suddenly left few choices in the ninth. Nordahl and Martinez had been used heavily the last few days, and that had us look at Miller and Huerta to close it. Well, then give me Danny Miller, but I will close my eyes. Art Stevens ran the count full, but struck out, and Jose Paraz was down 1-2, but grounded out. Now the left-handers came, so the sooner Miller got one out, the better. 1-2 on Montray, who was 0-3 with 3 K on the day – and hacked himself a golden sombrero. 4-2 Coons. Guerin 2-4; Torrez 2-4, 2B; Roberson 2-4, 2B; Martin 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Sharp (PH) 1-1; Brown 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, W (2-2);

In other news

April 29 – PIT SP Bastyao Caixinha (3-2, 4.17 ERA) reaches a plateau few have managed to see before, as he takes the win in an 8-5 win of the Miners over the Buffaloes, in turn securing his 250th major league victory. The 40-year old former international signing by the Aces, all the way back in 1979, is 250-211 with a 3.49 ERA for his career, with 2,724 strikeouts in 4,075 innings pitched. A true work horse, he has failed to start 34 games only since 1986, in 1989. He trails Woody Roberts (279), Juan Correa (272), and Craig Hansen (272) on the all-time list.
April 29 – Dallas’ 24-year old INF Brian Nichols (.339, 0 HR, 9 RBI) has been on fire since the season started and has collected hits in 20 straight games now, including a pair in the team’s 5-4 win over the Blue Sox this Monday.
April 29 – TOP LF/RF Jesus Maldonado (.301, 3 HR, 15 RBI) is potentially out for the season with a torn back muscle.
April 29 – Rookie MR Bob Evans (0-0, 3.86 ERA) on the Crusaders is headed for Tommy John surgery and is out for a full year after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament.
May 3 – ATL LF/RF Stephen Ware (.343, 1 HR, 16 RBI) goes to the shelf with an oblique strain and might miss six weeks.
May 4 – A week after winning his 250th, Pittsburgh’s Bastyao Caixinha (4-2, 3.35 ERA) didn’t look 40 years old at all, striking out four against three hits in a 7-0 shutout win over the Indians.
May 4 – SAC 3B Sonny Reece (.364, 1 HR, 17 RBI) has hit in 20 straight games, collecting one single in a 4-3 Scorpions win over the Condors.
May 4 – Meanwhile, the Aces kill the streak of Dallas’ Brian Nichols, who is shut down after 24 games of consecutive hitting and goes 0-5 in his team’s 3-2 loss.
May 5 – The Loggers deal INF Mark Hall (.309, 0 HR, 11 RBI) to the Miners for 1B Jose Nava (.333, 1 HR, 7 RBI in 33 AB).
May 6 – The Condors re-acquire INF/LF Rory Gorden (.269, 3 HR, 9 RBI) from the Rebels, sending C Carlos Ramos (.264, 0 HR, 7 RBI) in return.
May 7 – The Canadiens sink the Scorpions, 7-4, and also end Sonny Reece’s hitting streak at 21 games.
May 8 – Denver’s Carlos Castro (5-1, 2.53 ERA) 1-hits the Crusaders in a 1-0 shutout, and hits the game-winning solo home run himself! Apasyu Britton has a double to spare the Crusaders getting no-hit.
May 10 – TIJ 1B/3B Ben O’Morrissey (.309, 2 HR, 25 RBI) has quite the day in the Condors’ 11-4 win over the Knights, knocking four base hits, including his 2,000th career hit. The 36-year old was the seventh overall pick by the Cyclones in the 1987 draft, but was acquired as a prospect by the Raccoons in ’88, for whom he appeared from the same year until a 1997 trade washed him to Tijuana. A career .283/.354/.425 batter with 151 HR and 943 RBI, he was an All Star three times, and won a pair of Gold Gloves ten years apart in 1991 and 2001.
May 10 – 38-year old SAL LF/RF Dale Wales (.288, 2 HR, 13 RBI) keeps trucking, with interruptions however. Persistent neck spasms will sit the veteran down for about a week.
May 12 – A herniated disc means the Titans will be three weeks without LF/RF Chih-tui Jin (.200, 1 HR, 9 RBI).

Complaints and stuff

It is taxing.

Palacios going down with the broken hand greatly limits our ability to encroach on right-handed pitchers. Apart from Al Martin, all other left-handed bats are in the outfield, and Roberson should play every day, so at most we can muster three left-handers in the lineup. That’s quite poor. In AAA George Morris and Manny Gabriel are left-handed batters. But coming to think of it, maybe it’s not that much of an issue. Less than dealing with Gabriel again, at least.

In miscellaneous news, Antonio Donis signed a 2-yr, $1.64M extension with the Gold Sox in early May.

It’s been a few years, but Ben O’Morrissey still has the majority of his hits as a Raccoon: 1,180 to be precise. I don’t particularly bother about his 2,000th, I am still mad at him for how he left Portland in ’97. And for me, madness never seizes.

[Questdog]

Maybe not the best stretch in Coon history, but any week when you can take series from both Vancouver and Salem cannot be all bad....

[Westheim]

Raccoons (17-19) vs. Loggers (18-19) – May 13-16, 2002

Four-game sets – they DO exist. Strange schedule. The Loggers didn’t quite know what had hit them so far. Somehow, the 1999 and 2000 Triple Crown winner Martin Garcia had yet to win a ballgame this season! And it was not his fault. They were 10th in runs scored, and apart from Garcia the rotation was in trouble, to say the least. Overall, they were merely average in pitching. Another point on their issues list was a disabled list the size of a hospital with eight 40-man roster players hurt, including outfielder Jerry Fletcher, pitcher Ricardo Medina, and third baseman Jorge Cruz.

Projected matchups:
Felipe Garcia (0-3, 7.25 ERA) vs. Martin Garcia (0-4, 2.89 ERA)
Carl Bean (2-4, 3.33 ERA) vs. John Miller (4-3, 4.07 ERA)
Ralph Ford (5-2, 2.55 ERA) vs. Vernon Robertson (4-2, 4.50 ERA)
Randy Farley (1-5, 4.22 ERA) vs. Millard Wilson (3-3, 6.75 ERA)

Well, Garcia got the easy matchup here with Garcia. We mean their Garcia first, and our Garcia second. See ya, Garcia.

We will wait a minute now for you to finish facepalming.

Game 1
MIL: 2B B. Hernandez – 1B Nava – CF C. Ramirez – LF Hiwalani – RF Mashiba – 3B J. Morales – C Benitez – SS Costello – P M. Garcia
POR: SS Guerin – CF Torrez – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 3B Sharp – 2B M. Ramirez – RF Flores – C Thomas – P F. Garcia

Our Garcia was performing as expected, which is to say he was outright dismal, walking the first two batters and allowing singles to Hiwalani and Mashiba before Morales and Benitez struck out and left the bags full with a 1-0 score. The Loggers didn’t do much after that, while the Raccoons didn’t do anything at all, casually leaving Danny Sharp on third base in the second inning for a non-change. In the fifth, the Loggers awoke, with Pedro Costello starting the inning with a single, and Garcia eventually yielded a walk and a triple to Cristo Ramirez that brought the score to 3-0. Hiwalani walked, but Mashiba grounded out to second to end the inning. In the bottom 6th, a Torrez single and a Roberson double with two out raised a faint hope that was soon squelched when Martin grounded out on the first pitch. In the eighth, Ricardo Huerta tried to make himself expendable sooner rather than later, issuing a leadoff walk to Cristo Ramirez before giving up three hits, and then hitting PH Mark Smith with the bases loaded. Daniel Miller came in and retired Bartolo Hernandez on a soft grounder to Guerin to keep three Loggers on, but the game was long lost, on seven shutout innings of 4-hit ball by Martin Garcia, who was finally a winner. 5-0 Loggers. Roberson 2-4, 2B; Sharp 2-4, 2B; Miller 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

(sigh)

Game 2
MIL: 2B B. Hernandez – 1B Nava – CF C. Ramirez – LF Hiwalani – RF Mashiba – 3B J. Morales – C Sparks – SS Costello – P J. Miller
POR: RF Brady – 3B Sharp – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – CF Torrez – SS Guerin – 2B Ingall – C Thomas – P Bean

Bean was not sharp at all (but Sharp was a bean), and lasted only four horrible innings in this second game. He had one strikeout, which ended the first against the Hivileani, who would get his revenge later with a 2-run homer in the third inning. Bean was awful, allowed eight hits and a walk and the Loggers casually plated five runs. Through four, the Raccoons – exactly, nothing. This would never quite change during this game, which saw John Miller toss a shutout that was not in danger until the ninth, which was the only time in the game the Raccoons actually got someone on third base. But Adrian Matthews dutifully grounded out before a run could actually be scored, leaving Miller with a seven-hitter. 5-0 Loggers. Roberson 2-3, BB; Bruno 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K; Diaz 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K;

Yeah, that’s a terrible offense, they’re struggling! And their pitching! It’s horrendous! (cuts himself some more)

To make things yet even WORSE – and yes apparently that is still possible – two players got hurt in this game. One was Jose Nava, and the other was Edgardo Torrez. Neither was diagnosed that night. Yeah, more hurt outfielders. We are so lucky.

And we haven’t scored in 21 innings.

Game 3
MIL: SS B. Hernandez – CF M. Smith – LF Hiwalani – 2B J. Cruz – RF C. Ramirez – C Benitez – 1B Costello – 3B Buchanan – P Robertson
POR: 3B Sharp – RF Brady – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – SS Guerin – LF Flores – 2B M. Ramirez – C Fifield – P Ford

Ralph Ford did everything we asked from him in this game, lining up zeroes on the board. He had a minor hiccup in the second inning, but the Loggers didn’t score then and that continued for a while. Unfortunately for him, Vernon Robertson, a veteran of the Civil War according to the history books, terribly befuddled the Raccoons, which was not the tallest task in the world. The Coons raced through the 20s in the “scoreless innings” count. Ford crossed 100 pitches at the end of the seventh, three hits, nine strikeouts, no runs allowed. Bottom 7th: Robertson hit Concie to start the inning. Gil Flores grounded to the second base side of short, where Hernandez tried to rush a double play, but couldn’t get the ball out of his glove and didn’t get ANY out. And then we started a double steal – and Concie was thrown out. Ramirez grounded out, moving Flores to third, but Roberson put two strikes on Fifield, who eventually put the ball into play, a not too sharp roller up the third base line – and past Buchanan. Flores was stunned, but managed to score. Ford did the eighth, but at 118 pitches was done. Dan Nordahl got ready, while the Raccoons failed to score in the bottom 8th, and Nordahl’s first man was Hiwalani. Danny got him to 1-2, but failed to remove him and Hiwalani dumped a single into shallow left. Cruz, just off the DL, walked, and Ramirez grounded to Guerin, who couldn’t turn two. The bases were loaded, once Benitez drew a borderline full count walk. Costello struck out, hacking eagerly, and then Phil Buchanan put the first ball in play, a soft fly to shallow right, Brady coming on, coming on, coming on – got it! 1-0 Raccoons. Roberson 2-4, 2B; Flores 2-3, 2B; Fifield 1-2, BB, RBI; Ford 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K, W (6-2);

THAT … was NOT … pretty. NOT pretty. Getting the desired result is fine, but THAT … was NOT … pretty. NOT … pretty.

Ralph Ford is now third in strikeouts in the CL, having 55 to John Miller’s 56. Tony Hamlyn has 68. Nick Brown will go Friday, and has 53 so far. He has the potential to throw anywhere between 13 and zero.

And *actually*, Robertson is 39, and the Raccoons have one run scored in almost 39 innings (actually 29).

Game 4
MIL: SS B. Hernandez – 1B Nava – LF Hiwalani – CF C. Ramirez – RF Mashiba – 3B J. Morales – 2B Costello – C Benitez – P M. Wilson
POR: RF Brady – 3B Sharp – CF Roberson – 1B Martin – LF Parker – SS Guerin – 2B Ingall – C Fifield – P Farley

Nava was back in there with a sore ankle, but soothed the pain with an RBI single in the first. Farley surrendered four singles, looked horrible, and only escaped because of Morales fouling out and Costello sending the easiest grounder to Sharp. Farley walked the pitcher in the second inning and surrendered three more singles and two runs. Shoot him outright? Sounds like a plan. Farley sucked beyond everything holy or unholy, surrendered 11 hits and four runs through 3.2 innings and was removed when he plunked Taisuke Mashiba. Albert Martin’s 10th homer of the season, of the solo variety, in the bottom 4th was greeted with minor cheers only, as the home team fans sat dejectedly, wishing their $10 ticket price back. Juan Diaz surrendered a 3-run bomb to Cristo Ramirez in the sixth, not retiring anybody, but the attendance started to retire for another hot dog, eating it on the way to the car. In total, those that stuck around saw the Loggers drill 17 hits of a hopelessly overmatched Raccoons staff, and they got away easily. 7-3 Loggers. Roberson 2-5, 3B, RBI; Martin 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Ingall 1-2, BB; Martinez 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Edgardo Torrez wrist’ was not broken, we finally found out that evening. It was sprained nevertheless and he would go to the shelf for the next four weeks. Great, more outfielder going down, always a good thing. Cal Lyon came back.

Raccoons (18-22) vs. Condors (19-22) – May 17-19, 2002

The Condors were below .500, which was a rather unfamiliar situation for a team that hadn’t finished below .500 in any of the last seasons. They were more average than anything else both offensively and defensively, which was a good recipe for a few 12-0 shutouts for them against the Issuecoons.

Projected matchups:
Nick Brown (2-2, 2.96 ERA) vs. Kelvin Yates (2-6, 5.96 ERA)
Felipe Garcia (0-4, 6.44 ERA) vs. Jose Maldonado (3-4, 3.88 ERA)
Carl Bean (2-5, 3.90 ERA) vs. Jesus Bautista (4-4, 3.72 ERA)

Game 1
TIJ: LF Bayle – 2B B. Boyle – C Cicalina – RF Vázquez – SS J. Barrón – 1B Cambria – CF Gorden – 3B Heathershaw – P Yates
POR: 3B Sharp – CF Lyon – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – RF Brady – 2B Matthews – SS Guerin – C Thomas – P Brown

The first Coon, Sharp, reached on an error by rookie Bradley Heathershaw. Lyon hit an infield single, before Roberson fired a grounder under a diving Heathershaw to plate the first run. Martin and Brady made poor outs, and it seemed we’d be stuck with one run only, but the middle infielders came through with a 2-run single by Matthews, who went to second on the throw home, and then scored on Concie’s single. 4-0 for Nicky – on a good day it would be enough. After a long first two innings, Brown mowed over the Condors in the third, and had two out in the fourth, with a 5-0 lead, when - … somehow things seem to happen sometimes. Juan Barrón hit a weak grounder between Sharp and Guerin on the left side, and then Brown came apart for two walks, then faced Heatershaw. That count also ran full before the 24-year old third baseman sent a grounder to Concie that ended the inning. It was a good thing he made THAT play and botched the one that put Urbano Cicalina on to start the sixth. Home run king Raúl Vázquez had a grounder dingle past Matthews for a single, putting runners on the corner, but Brown found the mustard, struck out Juan Barrón and Hugues Cambria found the way into a double play, which Concie turned nicely. Nick Brown ended up pitching seven shutout innings, whiffing nine. Roberson came up in the bottom 7th with Lyon on second and no out, and he already had three doubles, most of them through Heathershaw. Well, he hit another one, and this one ALSO went past Heathershaw. Jon Robinson was pitching, but sucked badly, issuing three walks before Ingall hit for Brown. He was not content with an Ingall single, but doubled (well over Heathershaw this time) and plated two, romping the score to 10-0. With Huerta pitching, Cal Lyon started a double play on desperate Condors in the eighth. The bottom of the frame saw Al Martin make it eleven with his eleventh, and the Coons rolled on over Alex Byrd with an Ingall single the final knock in this rout. 13-0 Coons!! Lyon 2-6; Roberson 4-5, 4 2B, 2 RBI; Martin 2-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Matthews 2-4, 3 RBI; Guerin 3-5, 2 RBI; Ingall (PH) 2-2, 2B, 3 RBI; Brown 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K, W (3-2) and 1-3;

So now you’re scoring in excess of a dozen? Geez, I don’t even know this team. By the way, we faced not only the Home Run King in this game, but also the Wins King, Woody Roberts, who is unscored upon in his old-age relief role.

Yes, I do love saying Heathershaw. My new favorite player of all time. He’s an Aussie. There’s an Aussie whose loss I am still not over, and probably never will be.

Game 2
TIJ: CF Gorden – 2B J. Barrón – RF Vázquez – 3B B. Boyle – C Cicalina – LF Bishop – 1B B. Román – SS Heathershaw – P J. Maldonado
POR: 3B Sharp – CF Lyon – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – RF Brady – SS Matthews – 2B M. Ramirez – C Fifield – P F. Garcia

Saturday, everything was back to horrible. Felipe Garcia started his last major league game, going not very long, but down rather quickly, and without a doubt. In two innings, the Condors whipped him for seven hits and four runs. Heathershaw hit an RBI triple. The Raccoons didn’t do anything offensively through five, and trailed 5-0. In the sixth, Diaz entered with us hoping he could go two innings. Rory Gorden singled. Barrón walked, Vázquez walked, and Bruce Boyle had a 3-0 count, when Diaz balked, and denied Boyle the inevitable RBI to his walk. It was one of those games. After the rout the previous day, the Raccoons got routed right back. They had nothing going apart from bases loaded with two outs in the ninth, and then Sharp flew out to Vázquez and that was already the ballgame. 7-0 Condors. Sharp 2-5; Parker (PH) 1-1; Nordahl 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

We needed to use Nordahl here, since we were simply out of arms.

But things were changing. I had enough. The clubhouse was cleansed that night.

Raccoons sent to St. Petersburg:
SP Felipe Garcia (0-5, 6.96 ERA, 32.1 IP, 41 H, 12 BB, 23 K)
MR Juan Diaz (0-1, 8.74 ERA, 11.1 IP, 16 H, 7 BB, 13 K)
INF Miguel Ramirez (.045/.087/.045 in 22 AB)

Alley Cats reluctantly called up to Portland:
MR Mauro Rodriguez (1-1, 1.93 ERA, 28 IP, 25 H, 9 BB, 21 K)
MR Bob Joly (0-0, 3.26 ERA, 2 SV, 19.1 IP, 19 H, 3 BB, 10 K)
INF/LF/RF Manny Gabriel (.313/.406/.373, 0 HR, 11 RBI in 83 AB)

Rodriguez was our fourth-rounder in the 1997 draft. He’s 27 already. But we will keep changing southpaws until we find a usable one, I guess?

Game 3
TIJ: LF Bayle – 2B J. Barrón – RF Vázquez – 3B B. Boyle – 1B Cambria – CF Gorden – C Estrada – SS Osmond – P Bautista
POR: 3B Sharp – LF Parker – CF Lyon – RF Brady – 1B Matthews – SS Guerin – 2B Gabriel – C Thomas – P Bean

Glenn Osmond’s first at-bat as a Condor since getting claimed off waivers from the Cyclones saw him hit a 2-out RBI single off Carl Bean in the second to get the scoring underway. Bean’s 1-out single in the top 3rd then got the Coons going. Sharp walked, and Parker squeezed a grounder past Osmond that allowed even Bean to score from second base. The chance for something better was wasted when Lyon struck out and Brady rolled out to second. The tie didn’t live long with Rory Gorden hitting into a run-scoring double play in the next inning, but the fifth seemed to be a Coons’ inning then. Sharp got on, and Parker doubled, two in scoring position with no outs for Lyon, and while Bautista got to 2-2 on him, Lyon managed to get the damn thing into play, and for the second time in the game it rolled just past Osmond for an RBI single. After a Brady walk (on four straight), it was 2-2, three on, no outs. And now Bautista was shaking badly, fell to 3-1 on Matthews, who then poked, but it got through up the middle for another RBI single, and we got two more of those, all consecutively, by Guerin and Gabriel before the inning fizzled out, 5-2. If Bean just were a tiny little bit less horrible …! Barrón led off with a single in the sixth, and while Bean struck out the two dangerous left-handers, he fell to the weak left-hander, as Hugues Cambria lobbed a single over Martin to score Barrón who had stolen a base in the meantime. Bean faced Estrada and Osmond in the seventh, the two excuse-level right-handers both hit singles, and Bean was gone. Moreno struck out Bartolo Román, and Martinez yielded a sac fly to Jimmy Bayle, but we got out with a 5-4 lead. Unfortunately, we were to face the 3-4-5 left-handed array again in the eighth, and only Rodriguez was left to make his debut in an undesirable spot for everybody – except the Condors. The first batter of his major league career was non other than the Home Run King – and he struck him out. Boyle grounded out, but Cambria walked, and we made a move for Nordahl, who replaced Gabriel, with Martin coming in at first. The #8 guy was due up first in the bottom 8th, so Martin could hit once, then be switched out for Ingall for defense in the ninth. It was wicked plan, cunning almost. Nordahl got out of the eighth after a Gorden single, but Martin flew out to right in his only turn at bat. Osmond led off the ninth and zinged a double to get the fans gasping. Jack Bishop pinch-hit, but struck out, and Bayle was fanned as well. Barrón made contact at 2-1, to left, and oh **** it’s high, it’s high – but it’s not deep. Parker made the catch. 5-4 Coons. Parker 3-4, 2B, RBI; Guerin 2-4, RBI; Nordahl 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, SV (6);

(gasps)

In other news

May 13 – The Pacifics are silenced by DEN Carlos Castro (6-1, 2.22 ERA), who spins a 2-hit shutout and takes the 4-0 win.
May 16 – TIJ OF Jeff MacGruder (.264, 9 HR, 31 RBI) has torn up his anterior cruciate ligament and is out for the season.
May 16 – SAL INF Kurt Metting (.271, 6 HR, 29 RBI) is laid up in a cast after fracturing his fibula and is not expected back in uniform before August.
May 16 – SAC OF Lorenzo Ruvalcubu (.333, 2 HR, 24 RBI) scratches out a single in five AB in the Scorpions’ 5-3 loss to the Wolves, which sees him complete a 20-game string of consecutive hitting.
May 17 – The Stars tie up their prime slugger, 1B Mac Woods (.266, 9 HR, 26 RBI) by signing him to a 5-yr, $9M extension.
May 17 – The Miners end Lorenzo Ruvalcubu’s shenanigans, killing his streak at 20 with an 0-4 day, and also beat the Scorpions, 3-2.
May 18 – Next guy with a 20-game hitting streak: Richmond’s INF Felipe Rivera (.368, 4 HR, 22 RBI), who has two hits in the Rebels’ 5-3 win over the Gold Sox to reach the 20 mark.
May 19 – And it’s gone: the Gold Sox bludgeon the Rebels, 16-3, and also kill off Rivera’s streak at 20 games.

Complaints and stuff

You can say a lot of things about Dan Nordahl, but whenever he pitches, it never gets boring. Where’s the heart medication? And the booze.

Nick Brown is now third in K’s, while Ford is third in ERA, and tied for third in wins in the Continental League. And whenever those two do not start, we get shelled for sure.

We have 11 players on the DL across the system. NONE are pitchers. EIGHT are outfielders. It’s CRAZY!! Mid-week, we were left with 15 healthy outfielders in the entire system. We had to sign two scrubs off the heap just to keep the blood circulating. Olvera, the old bone we picked up earlier, is atrocious in AAA, not even OPS'ing .550

Rodriguez wanted #32. That’s Grant West’s number! Are you CRAZY?? He got #36. The deal is, he gets #32 when he surpasses the Demon’s save total.

And I know nobody wants to see Bob Joly touch a ball in a brown shirt again, but we don’t have anybody. Also, the next start for #5 falls on an off day on Thursday, and we won’t need a fifth starter until May 28 in Atlanta. After that comes a longer stretch of games. If we would have had another off day on the following Monday or so, I would have been fine with using Joly once, then skipping again, but I think Cesar Miranda might get a call in time for May 28. He’s the only AAA starter with an ERA on the sunny side of 4.60. And not by much.

[Griever20]

Bob Joly??? I'm in and will get tickets for that one. If you want to see me, I'll be the heckler at the 1st base side...

Awesome dynasty! I predict a run for the division once Reece is back.

[Westheim]

Raccoons (20-23) @ Bayhawks (23-20) – May 20-22, 2002

Those weren’t the Bayhawks from a few years ago anymore. They never had scored a world in runs, but they had always enjoyed sterling pitching. Well, that was no more. They had Tony Hamlyn, but had lost most other key pieces from their staff. Their bullpen was still 2nd, though. Offensively, they were 6th in runs scored.

Projected matchups:
Ralph Ford (6-2, 2.21 ERA) vs. Ricardo Sanchez (5-4, 3.72 ERA)
Randy Farley (1-6, 4.61 ERA) vs. Dani Alvarado (1-2, 4.41 ERA)
Nick Brown (3-2, 2.56 ERA) vs. Miguel Diaz (2-2, 5.77 ERA)

Another series where we will only face right-handers.

Game 1
POR: 3B Sharp – SS Guerin – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – CF Lyon – 2B Matthews – RF Parker – C Thomas – P Ford
SFB: RF Javier – SS J. Perez – 1B D. Carroll – CF Black – LF Walls – C Manuel – 3B I. Navarro – 2B J. Diaz – P R. Sanchez

Ralph had won his last four games, but was completely amiss with regards to the strike zone in this game. He struggled to get ahead of batters at all, and soon was 1-0 behind when Luke Black hit a leadoff jack in the second. Black would hurt him again in the fifth inning with a 2-out RBI single for the Hawks’ second run of the day. Both times the Raccoons somehow scratched out a run in the following inning and the score was 2-2 after the top 6th. Ford had expended 90 pitches and had walked four through five innings, and survived a 1-out double by Ismael Navarro in the sixth, but six was all he managed in this admittedly dispiriting start. At least he didn’t lose it – that honor fell to Marcos Bruno, who put four men on base in the seventh and was torched up for three runs, which was more than enough for the Bayhawks to shove and drown the Critters in the Bay. 5-2 Bayhawks. Sharp 3-5, 2 2B; Martin 2-4, RBI;

Domingo Moreno twisted an ankle while unsuccessfully trying to dig out Bruno in the seventh. He is DTD for the rest of the series.

Game 2
POR: 3B Sharp – RF Brady – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – CF Lyon – SS Guerin – C Fifield – 2B Gabriel – P Farley
SFB: RF Javier – CF Walls – 1B D. Carroll – LF W. Jackson – 3B Foster – C Manuel – SS J. Perez – 2B I. Navarro – P Alvarado

This time around, the Bayhawks took the lead straight in the first inning, lobbing two singles over the infield and then enjoying Albert Martin being a terrible thrower for a run-scoring error. Farley had two out and nobody on in the bottom 3rd, and still managed to walk a pair and surrender two hits and two runs. All the while, the most unremarkable Dani Alvarado no-hit the Coons through four innings, and they didn’t get anything done afterwards, either, apart from a stray home run by Gary Fifield, who was hitting 33% of his base hits for four bases. Unfortunately he didn’t even bat .170, and the rest of the team joined him in a collective display of Fail. 3-1 Bayhawks.

Game 3
POR: 3B Sharp – RF Brady – CF Roberson – 1B Martin – LF Parker – SS Guerin – 2B Ingall – C Thomas – P Brown
SFB: RF Javier – 3B I. Navarro – 1B D. Carroll – CF Black – LF Walls – C Manuel – SS Foster – 2B J. Diaz – P M. Diaz

Bad pitchers just loved seeing the Raccoons. They built confidence in them. Miguel Diaz was exited to get the call in game 3. The Raccoons had two on with one out in the first inning and barely scratched out a sac fly. Nick Brown in turn was no help in trying to stop the bleeding, failing to strike out anybody the first time through the lineup, but instead hit a man and walked one, with defense mostly by Guerin and Parker holding his ledger clean. The Bayhawks didn’t get a hit though, and the next two innings, Brown struck out five batters. Up 3-0 by then, he snapped back to sucking in the sixth, pitching behind in the count exclusively and walking a pair before he wiggled out somehow. The Bayhawks were still hitless against Brown, who had held them dry through six innings – and never recorded another out. Luke Black walked to start the seventh, and then Walls singled over Guerin. Manuel walked, and Brown was gone. Manuel Martinez tried to salvage the game with the tying runs on base and nobody out, and just failed. Jesse Foster hit a sac fly, before Thomas missed a pitch, moving the remaining runners into scoring position. The Bayhawks’ Juan Diaz then doubled them in. Crying into a pillow, I missed the improbably useless Mark Thomas hitting a tie-breaking solo home run in the top 9th. That put the Raccoons suddenly on top again and presented another 1-run save opportunity for the recently wonky Dan Nordahl, facing Walls, Manuel and Foster. He got the first two, before Will Jackson hit for Foster and drew four balls. Diaz singled, and Alfredo Marquez, another left-hander, hit for the pitcher. 2-2, he sent a fly to deep center that arrived at the warning track at the same time as Roberson. The circus was in down as Roberson grabbed the ball and bounced off the unpadded centerfield wall to put this one down for history. 4-3 Coons. Sharp 2-4, BB; Roberson 2-4; Ingall 2-4, 2 2B; Brown 6.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 6 K;

Can someone explain Nicky’s line to me, please? Because my mind refuses to wrap itself around it.

Clyde Brady is in an unbelievable 3-41 rut. He has only 8 K in that span, and just as many walks. It’s not that he’s not making contact. But nothing falls in – ever.

Raccoons (21-25) @ Falcons (21-25) – May 24-26, 2002

These teams had identical records, but the Falcons had a vastly better offense, ranking third in the CL, while their pitching was almost level with the Raccoons’. Their rotation had gaping holes, however, and ranked only 9th.

Projected matchups:
Carl Bean (3-5, 4.11 ERA) vs. Manuel Hernandez (6-0, 2.54 ERA)
Ralph Ford (6-2, 2.28 ERA) vs. Alfredo Collazo (1-4, 7.94 ERA)
Randy Farley (1-7, 4.35 ERA) vs. Jesus Hernandez (1-6, 6.26 ERA)

Game 1
POR: 3B Sharp – SS Guerin – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 2B Ingall – CF Lyon – RF Flores – C Fifield – P Bean
CHA: 2B A. Ramirez – C F. Chavez – LF Morton – 1B H. Green – RF R. Wilson – SS Vieitas – CF Cook – 3B N. Chavez – P M. Hernandez

The first hit of the day came of Bean’s bat, a 2-out single in the third. Daniel Sharp hit a liner over Chavez into shallow left that turned back towards the foul line and happily hopped into the corner, giving even Bean enough time to score the first run of the game. Bean was not hit against until the fourth, and the Falcons left a runner on third base the same inning. The Raccoons didn’t have anything going again until the sixth, walking twice, but Martin eventually flew out gingerly to center to strand the pair. The Falcons left a man on second themselves in the same inning. Top 7th, starting with an Ingall single, the Coons got into business. Ingall was in motion when Cal Lyon singled, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Gil Flores lobbed a soft liner to Herberto Vieitas, and Fifield fouled out. Oh well. Maybe next inning. Carl Bean was not hit for, with our bullpen unable to go three innings without cocking up a 1-0 lead. Bean batted, swung once and missed, then swung again and didn’t miss. Joe Morton ran after it in deep left, couldn’t find it and threw up his arms, until it damned on him as well that Carl Bean had just hit it out. 4-0! Roberson added a run with a solo job the next inning and Carl Bean looked like he was situated pretty damn good – until he wasn’t anymore. Two leadoff walks in the bottom 8th, then with one out a single by Antonio Ramirez, where the Falcons sent Greg Cook around third and for home, Nelson Chavez went for third, Bean cut off Roberson’s throw and nabbed Chavez at third. Still, with left-handers next, Mauro Rodriguez came out and popped up Fernando Chavez to end the inning. Bruno failed to put the 5-1 game away in the ninth, bringing out Nordahl with one out and runners on first and second for Herberto Vieitas. Well, Nordahl would save the game – but it first cost a 3-run homer to the light-hitting shortstop. 5-4 Raccoons. Ingall 2-4; Bean 7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, W (4-5) and 2-3, HR, 3 RBI;

Carl Bean now has two home runs for his career, both this season.

Game 2
POR: 3B Sharp – CF Lyon – LF Roberson – 1B Martin – 2B Ingall – SS Guerin – RF Brady – C Fifield – P Ford
CHA: C M. Castillo – RF King – 3B H. Green – CF Hudson – SS Vieitas – LF R. Wilson – 1B Sullivan – 2B A. Ramirez – P Collazo

There are these days, where you just want to punch somebody in the face, and go back to bed. That was Saturday. The Raccoons got a 2-out, 3-run circuit blow by Marvin Ingall in the first inning, and then had Ralph Ford raped to be behind when the second inning got underway. Two walks, three hits on Farley, and the last of the hits was a 2-out, 3-run double by Terry Sullivan. Ford’s strong May was obviously well over, and he was knocked out by a 2-run single by Miguel Castillo in the fourth, putting the Raccoons in a 6-3 hole. There was no relief to be had from Daniel Miller either, as he walked three batters and allowed another single to escalate the inning into a 5-run nightmare. Roberson reached double digit home runs with a meaningless solo shot in the fifth. The Falcons were not very good, but sucked markedly less than the other team around and were not blowing a 6-run lead. 9-6 Falcons. Sharp 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Roberson 2-3, BB, HR, RBI; Ingall 2-4, HR, 4 RBI; Huerta 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K;

There, the Raccoons face a nominally horrible pitcher, and get raped twice as much, or more. And it happens every time.

Game 3
POR: 3B Sharp – 2B Ingall – CF Roberson – 1B Martin – LF Parker – SS Matthews – RF Brady – C Fifield – P Farley
CHA: CF Hudson – C F. Chavez – LF Morton – 1B H. Green – RF R. Wilson – SS Vieitas – 2B Sullivan – 3B N. Chavez – P J. Hernandez

Farley was in, so auto-loss. The Coons loaded them up in the first, and left them loaded, before Brady and Fifield singled to start the second. Farley bunted them over and they scored on a Sharp single and an Ingall sac fly to make it 2-0 for the hairy team. The lead was shorter than short-lived with Farley being tagged by RBI extra base hits by Vieitas (new coonskinner?) and Nelson Chavez in the bottom 2nd, tying the score. The first three Raccoons got on in the third inning, with Matthews hitting an RBI double as the third man up, and a Brady sac fly restored the 4-2 lead right away. Matthews hit another double with Parker on first and no outs in the fifth, but Parker was held at third, but only until a passed ball on Hernandez’ third pitch to Clyde Brady. Next was a wild pitch, plating Matthews as well, 6-2. Brady and Fifield got on and the first out was made on Randy’s sac fly. He now led 7-2, and set out to blow it immediately, allowing three line drive hits for two runs in the bottom 5th. Hubert Green’s leadoff double in the sixth got Farley yanked – finally – and Rodriguez was no help, either and two runs scored again. That cut the lead to 7-6, while my blood pressure ramped up considerably. Jeff Paul walked the first two Coons in the seventh, before Fifield struck out. Lyon was no help either, grounding out, before Sharp walked, loading them up with two out. We got a new reliever in Steven Anderson, who walked Ingall regardless, 8-6, and brought up Roberson, who flew to deep left, but not deep enough against the agile Joe Morton. Bruno failed for the x-teenth time this week, putting two men on in the bottom 7th, making room for Moreno, who had lefty Ralph Wilson at 1-2 before striking him in the ribs. Vieitas fired Moreno’s first pitch to deep center in an attempt to keep pelting (the Raccoons would not be in town forever anyway), but Roberson made a spectacular launching grab to end the inning with the bases loaded. The eighth was devoid of upsets, and Nordahl got the call in the ninth with a 2-run lead. No more 2-spots please. He had to get through the top of the order, and John Hudson singled to center right away. Fernando Chavez smacked a wicked bouncer that went all the way over a jumping Nordahl but got to Ingall on a favorable hop, and Marv started a double play. Okay, Danny, you had your fun. Now, please… His next pitch was taken to center by Morton, and Roberson barely had to move. 8-6 Raccoons. Sharp 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI; Parker 2-4, BB; Matthews 2-4, BB, 2 2B, RBI; Brady 2-3, BB, RBI; Fifield 2-5, 2B;

In other news

May 22 – 33-year old RIC OF Jose Martinez announces his retirement after failing to recover from post-concussion syndrome. A 14-year major league veteran, Martinez was a .334/.422/.444 career batter with 2,319 hits, 18 home runs and 859 driven in. He ranks 24th on the all-time hit list, and was 9th among active players.
May 23 – OCT OF Joey Humphrey (.294, 3 HR, 15 RBI) is sidelined for four weeks with a sprained ankle.
May 24 – TOP 1B Jose Valenzuela (.280, 6 HR, 31 RBI) has his season end with a broken knee, and the Buffaloes will also lose INF Gabriel Rodriguez (.333, 2 HR, 20 RBI) for a month with a quad strain.

Complaints and stuff

… and we’re slowly sinking towards the bottom in runs scored. Pitching is, despite all the heartbreaks and pulled hair, still league average. They’re not THAT bad. They’re around 4.3 R/A, which is not nice, but not bad. The offense is. Somehow, it’s the other way round from last year. Without Reece and Palacios, nothing goes together in that lineup. We’re playing two or three fools with clips under .210 every day. Plus Brady, who can’t hit a barrel sitting inside it anymore. Even with that 75% OBP Sunday, he is a shocking .096/.241/.096 since May 10. No extra base hits, and ONE RBI.

And race for the division? Are you nuts!?

Trivia #1: Nick Brown has 118 strikeouts through 100.1 IP in his major league career. He is one of only TWO pitchers with more than 9 K/9 in the brown shirt. The other is short-time reliever Nate Goodman (39 K in 38.2 IP).

Trivia #2: Among all players with at least 2,000 AB for the Raccoons, who amassed the least VORP for the team?
- Glenn Johnston (27.7 VORP in 2,027 AB)

With Johnston, I can't help, but the one thing I keep seeing again and again in front of my eyes is him dropping Ed Parrell's 2-out fly. Mauro Morales scores. Jackie Lagarde's look tells the horror like words never could. The Raccoons lose. Empty silent darkness.

[Westheim]

Wildly off topic. After years of refusal I finally bent over, accepted the indignity and got myself Steam, the most beloved useless and intrusal middleware slave tool people have ever voluntarily subjected themselves to.

Got Cities Skylines, and what does the mad Raccoon fan do? Divide a horrendously disfigured Pseudo Portland into suburbs named after Raccoons, of course, with downtown Central Portland, Osanai Gardens, and of course Hall Town in the center of things.



There's also Gaston Farms to the west, Dawson Park and Saito Square to the south, and Kinnear Junction and Vinson Hills to the east of that jumbled mess.

Yeah right, an elevated railroad going straight through a commercial block. Because I am no better at this than at managing a baseball team, that's why.

I love this game.

[Questdog]

I am ready for the draft....